posted October 29, 2003 04:33 PM
I'm a faithful member of the conservative church of Christ. Born and raised there, as were my parents. I go twice on sunday, bible study on wed night, and every "other" opportunity I get with congregations in the area.
My husband is agnostic. He goes with me on sunday morning, but doesn't believe any of it and only goes so not to get the "puppy dog" look I involuntarily seem to give.
We both believe children's bible classes are very important to a child's early development, and that when they're older, the religious decisions will become theirs.
The church I'm a member of does not have a nursury or day care...we all believe that children should be taught how to behave in church from infancy. We have no problems with discipline after about age 1 or so. Actually, the teenagers in our group all prefer to sit together on the front couple of rows. After they are baptized, the boys take an active role in the worship along-side the men.
I'm a WHAM because I believe my spiritual duty in the home is first and formost to be the caregiver. If there is time and a need, I'll also work outside the home. My husband is the primary bread-winner. We plan all of our finances around his income. Whatever I make is used for non-necessities such as xmas.
[This message has been edited by smithcp (edited October 29, 2003).]
posted November 12, 2003 08:52 PM
Interesting question and yes we go 3 times a week. Heb.10:24,25 suggests the gathering together to encourage one another, so we do that. I love it and it is the center of our lives, therefore not much aside from sickness gets in the way of going. Noteworthy, how the bible tells what God requires of everyone.....wouldn't know what they were if we didn't go. Enjoy your day!!
posted November 13, 2003 01:16 PM
Yes my husband and our two kids attend a reformed presbyterian church called grace presbyterian in yorba linda,ca. Christ is most definitely the center of our lives. The bible is the "instuction" manual for how we should live our lives. It most definitely affects all the decisions we make in our life. That is why we have given up things for me to be an at home mom and i am also going to home school. My son & daughter get TONS of interaction with other kids and i give thanks to my soverign LORD for all the blessings in my life!
posted November 16, 2003 06:41 AM
Interesing question: Yes we go to church as a family. Since I was raised in church, I grew to understand the importance of God in my life and being around other believers. So, ofcourse I want the kids to have that experience of knowing and trusting God and being in fellowship with believers. I sing in the choir during Cantatas and play violin in the orchestra every Sunday. Church for us growing up was an extension of family really and even though we move alot we have had no problem settling into a church home soon after we moved. The opportunites I have had by being a WAHM have been a blssing I believe from God.
posted January 01, 2004 04:41 PM
My family does attend a baptist church. I grew up in that church since I was 1 year old. I'm 29 now. We take our 10 month old daughter there and she stays in the nursery while we attend church at 10:30. We have 2 moarning worships because our church is so big. We do not attend a Sunday School because we do not like the teaching right now. We are looking for something geared more towards raising a child in a christain home. Also, we would like a class with other young couples like ourselves with children. We love the church.
posted March 19, 2004 09:36 AM
Yes we attend Church every Sunday. But, we go to different ones. Both my husband and I are Catholic, and he attends a Catholic Church. I, on the other hand, now attend a non-denominational Christian Church that I love. Sometimes the kids go with me, other times with my husband.
My faith has grown very much over the last few years, and I look to the Lord to guide me in everything, including my business.
posted March 20, 2004 04:12 PM
I am with Gargoyle on this one. I also teach my children the morals of the bible, but having an American Indian and even Pagan ancestry, I don't really have a "name" for my beliefs either - it does not fit with any of the "defined" religions. For me, logical thinking, evolution and the pull of the energies all around me create my connections to the world as I know it. I celebrate the seasons and natural changes.
I spent several years diving headfirst into Christianity attending Protestant, Baptist, Catholic, and Pentecostal at differing times only to discover it felt more to me like a form of brainwashing and sneering at anyone who did not believe exactly as the other (differing even among groups). For me, believing in something I cannot see, feel, hear and connect with makes me feel as though I am fantasizing or kidding myself.
I have respect for everyone's individual choice of religion/spirituality - and I am very pleased when others have found their own "connections" whether Christian based or otherwise. I'm able to have that warm, safe, and harmony-filled experience by walking in the woods rather than attending a church.
[This message has been edited by MsLed (edited March 20, 2004).]
posted April 29, 2004 01:07 AM
We attend a non-denominational Charismatic church as a family. I was raised Catholic but became a born again Christian in 1994. My grandmother and great aunt who lived with us as kids were very religious and went to church faithfully each Sunday. My mom *tried* to go to church regularly and pretty much made us go with her when she did and my dad went on the occasional Easter or Christmas. I also went to a Chaholic school. I did not get much out of church at all as a child, it seemed too boring and structured and the sermons made no ssnse to me, the priest spoke in a way that way over our heads as kids. When I met my husband he invited me to attend church with him and for the first time I knew I had found the right church and felt that was the type of worship God intended for me to participate in. I'm happy to see my kids growing up knowing God and enjoying church and asking to go. My youngest goes to the nursery and loves it and my oldest goes to the kinder church and loves it as well.
quote:Originally posted by Cheryl@WAHM.com: I'm really not looking for heated debates with this question -- we've got enough of that in the *other* questions -- so I hope we can respect each others choices.
But I'm curious, do you go to church? Do you go with your family? Do you attend the same "type" of church you grew up in? How does this choice affect your life as a WAHM?
Hi.
To answer your question: yes, yes (well, sometimes with siblings and parents, as I'm single), yes, and since I am not yet a working WAHM - just in the "searching" stage, I can't really answer the last one.
I go to Mass every Sunday, and then some. Being Catholic is not just what I am - it's who I am. I can no more leave the Church for another than I can switch my life with that of someone else! NOTHING is more important to me than my faith. My experience of the Catholic Church is apparently different from others' on here, probably because, through prayer and study of it, I understand it.
This is not the forum for apologetics, but I agree with the words of Archbishop Fulton Sheen (a popular TV host back in the 1950's) who said: "There are 100 people in America who hate the Catholic Church, but there are a million who hate what they think the Catholic Church is."
By the way, in looking at some of the posts on here, not to get into a "heated debate", but... I have to say, according to my dictionary, the word "religion" means: "A belief upheld or pursued with zeal and devotion." So what's wrong with that? Just wondering... I really hate it when someone mis-uses "religion" as a bad word. Even the Bible doesn't use it as such. No offense to anyone on here - it's just a pet peeve of mine.
posted June 12, 2004 04:08 PM
My family finally all go to church together. When we were first married, my husband went to Catholic church and I went to whatever church appealed to me at the time. Then we had kids. So, we went to Catholic church one week and whatever my church was the next week. I was raised Baptist and became a Christian when I was 12. When an "incident" happened with one of the priests (not to us--to someone else), I couldn't go with a good heart anymore and I really didn't enjoy it anyway. My husband decided the same. We tried a non-denominational and liked the sermons until the pastor was way too stuck on money and started doing some strange things to get people to give money. So, we settled on a Baptist church and have been there for two years. My husband enjoys the sermon and the music. I get to be involved with people I like that I can turn to, unlike being involved in a church with 3,000 people. My husband's still Catholic, but I think he feels as I that it is more important for us to be in place where we are both comfortable and we can both be spiritually satisfied. Our marriage has really taken a turn for the better since then as well.
If your kids won't stay in nursery--keep trying they will--I had two that screamed for about six weeks each and now they love it.
If your husband won't go with you--go by yourself and take your children. Faith and Christian behavior in the home will turn a hard heart. I definitely know that (not that my husband was an ogre or anything--he just didn't really care about church before).
[This message has been edited by mom2trevalyjor (edited June 12, 2004).]
posted June 13, 2004 12:42 PM
Hello everybody We don't attend church. I'm not against it, but I have looked into some different churches, (ecspecially since my daughter was born) but I really haven't found anything yet that seems to fit us. We are very open and it seems that a lot of religions have a certain way of thinking (I'm definatly not saying all of them) and we are just very open. We are very spiritual and beleive in treating people with dignity, respect and love and always doing what is right. I didn't grow up going to church, I have never been baptised. My husband was baptised catholic, but went to a lutheran church when he was younger, with his mom. He was baptised catholic because he grandparents are catholic. His grandpa would like to baptise our daughter in the catholic faith and I guess that doesn't bother me, except he said to my husbands mom that if my daughter doesn't get baptised and dies she will go to hell. Don't get me wrong he is a great man and I love him with all my heart. But to say something like that is not so nice. So I guess I have mixed emotions about religion, but would never ever be against someone for there religion, and I do not beleive that certain religions are bad or anything like that. I hope that I did not affend anyone. God loves all of us the same.
posted June 17, 2004 01:09 PM
I'd love to go, but my husband works Sundays and my daughter is 6 months old. (But if anyone knows of any Mom/Baby- friendly churches in South Jersey, I'd love to hear about it!)
posted July 01, 2004 01:08 PM
I don't go, but I want to. I read the Purpose Drive Life, and it changed me profoundly. I always thought that church was a place to go so that people see you go and think you are a good Christian or Jewish person or what ever. but finding that book, and with the abundance of Christian Radio stations, I have found that I actually long to find a church that will teach me what I am missing
------------------ Bring your family to the dinner table 7 nights a week
posted July 21, 2004 01:01 PM
Yes Cheryl, I go to church.
My mom took myself and siblings to church every Sunday. My father didn't attend when I was growing up only every so often. Sometimes I would go and ask him "Daddy will you go to church today?" I guess that's all it took he would sometimes getup and get ready.
He really didn't start going until my husband and I were a month from getting married.
My husband and I go to a small country church of about 65 to 75. My husband was called into the ministry about 15 years ago. He is the assistant pastor at our church. We love it their. The people are so loving and willing to pray with you and for you.
It is a Christian Union church. Something similar to Baptist. I grewup in a Baptist church.
My husband and I have 2 children. Our son is 13 and our daughter is 10. Our daughter loves to sing in church. She's been singing for ever since she was probably 3. She got up in church and started singing Jesus Loves Me and then went right into the Itsy Bitsy Spider. When everyone laughed, she ran right to me. But I'm glad that didn't stop her from continuing to sing. Everyone told her she should've finished the song.
Our daughter has been an inspiration singing at our church. We have a 2 year old little that goes to our church. My daughter used to help her sing when she first started. Now that little gets right up and sings before anybody in the church.
posted November 08, 2004 01:38 AM
My Life: Emily Lauren
With brown hair and four eyes, I stand an astonishing five feet and two inches tall. My height, however, does not reflect my growth. I especially have grown so much in the past four years it is hard to believe. I used to be someone who bitterly hated and deliberately disobeyed God. I had actually blamed God for all of the pain I felt. In my sorrow, I drowned myself in a never-ending sea of things to do and I was never able to get to the surface to breathe—much less laugh or smile. I grew up as the youngest of three children. My older brother and my twin sister and I all have had a rough childhood. At the time my twin sister and I were ten and my brother eleven, our parents divorced. Our mom moved out of town and left the three of us at home with our dad. The divorce agreement granted us to see our mom only twice a month, it was not nearly enough. We did not see our dad as much as we wanted either because he was usually working. Within the next year or so after the divorce was final, our dad remarried. This marriage however, did not create much unity; there were more fights than ever before. Everyday, I dreaded coming home from school and entering the world of yelling, fighting, and screaming. It was so hard to enjoy anything. Nevertheless, time passed. More months passed and they got a divorce. Life to me was just suffering; it was all I knew. I became so depressed that my appearance showed it. I wore all black, revealing my despair. There were so many tears and so much pain that I did not think it was bearable. I was so empty; I had no love and no purpose. I just became hollow shell of black make up and black clothes. As I grew older, my emptiness turned into bitterness. I started to hate God and, blame Him for ruining my life. I wanted to do wrong and evil things to hurt Him as he had hurt me. I wanted revenge for letting my mom leave me and removing all the joy from my life. I was against God. I slandered all of the Christians at school and doubted their beliefs. I worked to destroy anything or anyone who believed in God. My hate for God and my dad grew stronger the following summer, when my dad started attending church and he forced me to go with him. It was the summer of 1999 and I was only fourteen years old. From the moment I entered the church, until the moment it was over, I grimaced and did not look at anyone. I refused to stand at any part of the service, and during the hymns and the pastor’s sermon, I would say to myself “I do not believe this! I do not believe this! I do not believe this!!!” Yet, it still haunted me how happy my dad and the church people were. Every Sunday morning started with my dad shouting some silly song to wake us up. He was so joyous those mornings, and I found it so confusing that no matter how much I hated my dad, he would still start our Sundays by singing a song with a smile. It was the same with the church people. They would still try to talk to the hateful gothic teenager that I was. Eventually, I no longer hated to go church. To me, it was only pleasant place of kindness. One day, through the prayers of the church members and my family, my hateful and hostile heart softened. I started to listen to the sermons and the words to the hymns. I became more and more curious about the gift of Jesus and the love of God. Within the next few days, I went to the bookstore with my dad and I bought a Bible and a journal with out him knowing. Later, when we were on the way home, he asked me what I bought and I just said, “A really neat book and a journal” and the conversation stopped there. In the next few weeks and even months, I continued to read the Bible without my family knowing. I would lock myself into the bathroom and just sit and read. At night, I would slip under my covers with a flashlight to read and learn more about God. I learned so much about God and the awesome power of love. By the November of 1999, I accepted Christ! I confessed all of my sins and He forgave me! He washed away all of my black make up and gave me a smile and a new life! I turned from all of my hating ways and started my walk with God. During my early Christian days, I was still very quiet. Just like with everything else, I kept my relationship with God mostly to myself. I was introverted at the time, but the more I learned and experienced God, the harder it became to keep to myself. I started to talk more and more about God and His awesome Son. It has now been about four years since I had acknowledged Christ as my Savior and Lord. I have been through some extremely rough times especially with my family and friends at school, but with the help of God and his awesome strength, I got through it! I finally graduated from high school and moved onto college. At Michigan Tech, I dedicated my whole life to Christ. I centered my life around telling others of God’s amazing love. God directed me start a Bible study and to disciple a few girls with His guidance. God has done some remarkable things in my life and to those I minister to. His love and the joy from it covers everything! Absolutely everything! I hold to nothing but the love of Christ! Through it all, God has always been there for me. He is my awesome Father. He is my support and my refuge. I can always find joy in Him and what he has done for me. Ohh!…I can not explain just how amazing life is with Christ! Joy, joy, joy! Unbelievable joy! His awesome love for me and for everyone else motivates me to daily talk to other people about Him! God has given me a great passion for serving His people and telling them about Him and the wonderful and amazing life they can have in Him! I love serving God! He alone is worthy of praise and my service! I will serve God alone! I will not serve satan, nor will I give into sin! I have the power of the Holy Spirit and the gift of Jesus Christ to have victory over sin! His love is so powerful! He saved my soul from death! He saved all of our souls from death! I just want to shout it out from every rooftop! I am so eager everyday to learn more about God and how to better serve Him! I love this awesome gift of life that God has given me and I will use everything that he has given me to serve Him with all of my heart, all of my soul and all of my mind! I am completely surrendered to Christ! Now God is calling me to follow Him. He is calling me to give up the educational opportunity at Tech and the financial security of a bachelor’s degree. He is telling me forget about the countless hours and time I have spent working towards those things. He is asking me if I will sacrifice my life for Him. All I can think is that this sounds really foolish and just plain stupid. It defies all logic as to why I would give up these things, but at the same time, God is not logical. He loves us sinners, he loves us! That is amazing in itself, but also that He sent His one and only Son to die for us…that is beyond all comprehension. Love is not logical. And this is why I am giving up everything to go and follow Him. “If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.” (Matthew 10:39) I love Jesus and my life is His. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
posted November 08, 2004 06:13 PM
One thing I've noticed with all the answers to this question is that the YES answers are long and explanatory, where the NO answers are brief and have a "scared to tell the truth" tone. Why is it people are afraid to say we don't go to church? How about this question... Do you believe in God? That question would probably bring on a more heated question.
I am agnostic. I do not believe one way or the other. I don't know and no one DOES know and won't know until they die. That's where the word 'faith' comes in play. You have faith in whatever you were told to believe by the bible, your parents or wherever you received your info. Whatever feels "right" for you and your situation is what you believe. Do you believe in abortion? Then being a Catholic is not for you. It's the same with politics... you decide all of the points in which you believe and then you decide if you are democratic or republican. Churches are businesses and they are in the business of taking donations and paying themselves. Now if there is a congregation full of good people and the money is collected to go towards their get-togethers, parties, fairs, and fun family things, then more power to them. I am ALL for that. But should they be tax-free? OKay Okay, I am getting into this deeper than "Do I go to church?"
I have looked into Scientology because I know a great deal of people I highly admire and I always find out they are Scientologists. They have a spiritual belief system that really brings out the best in you. That's as far as I've gone though, "Looked in to it".
quote:Originally posted by cidiconosa: Why is it people are afraid to say we don't go to church?
I am not afraid. I personally feel that I do not have to long-wordedly justify my style of life. Plus, it was stated specifically in the original post - "not to to start a heated discussion"
I respect other's beliefs and am not imposing mine on anybody.
posted November 11, 2004 10:01 PM
There have been lots of interesting responses here. I too, don't like "religion". I recently read a newspaper article defining people as either religious or spiritual. I can't remember the whole thing, but religious people were described as liking rituals - I think among other things - anyway the only way I could identify with the religious definition is that I do wish to be with others who share my beliefs. The description of spiritual included seeking a higher power or something - again, I don't remember the whole thing, but felt that I fit mostly in that group. Anyway, I grew up Jewish, and am now a born again Christian. I don't like religion, and I meet with a group that is described as evangelical and we are not a denomination. The church is the Body of Christ - the believers - not a building. The greek word for church in the bible is ecclesia (my spelling is probably wrong) and means the called-out ones. I meet with other believers as often as possible. I go to Sunday morning meetings, and we have small group meetings in our homes during the week. I love the Lord. To those whose responses indicate that they have been burned by religion, just remember, the problem was the institution, some of the people involved and not God. I pray that you all will find and enjoy Him as I do. In Christ, dToymom3
posted November 13, 2004 05:58 AM
I don't go to church. Do I believe in God? Yes. Am I baptized? Yes. So you may be wondering why I choose not to go to church... Well, I believe that "church" should be a place for all of us sinners to come to hear the word of God. Unfortunately, most churches I have been to around here, seem to think that only 'perfect' christians are welcome there. Everyone spends so much time on wearing the perfect clothes, jewelry, and make up. Then they spend time gossiping about those of us who are not perfect. Not to mention the hypocrisy of a lot of church goers....Once again, they are perfectly well behaved while in church, but once they are outside in the real world, they go back to drinking, cussing, and their sinning ways. I choose to study my bible, reflect on my life decisions on my own. I don't believe I need to surround myself with people who I don't believe are truthful, honest, or well meaning. Instead, I think of my church as the birds singing, the sun shining, and nature in general. I find peace in watching a bird make a nest. I find joy in seeing the seasons change. I find love in the ocean, hearing the waves hit against the rocks. I find faith when a tornado jumps over a house instead of wrecking it. And nature doesnt' lie, cheat, or steal either. In short, God hasn't disappointed me ever. People have, many many many times. The word of God is alive in me, but church is not.
The last time I went to church was at an evening Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento in 1976 before I came to Japan almost thirty years ago. Having even then being "fatally" imbued with the scientific view of nature, it was for old times' sake: When I was a little kid, in trouble, some young nuns at my Catholic school and the St. Mary's Orphan Home in Dubuque were kind to me. I grew up in the age of John XXIII, but of course, those days are long dead..... Now we watch inflammatory movies (who reads anymore?) by directors who blame a "fallable" but basically decent and wonderful man for problems inherent in an ossified, 1,600-year old structure he tried to invigorate within the impossible bounds he was confined in.
Sure, the priest in that evening Mass had done it a zillion times, and maybe his hot dinner was waiting for him. I got Holy Communion. It was a joke. He was going through the motions, and it was all too obvious. I'll leave it at that.
My friends who are still church-going Catholics will tell you this is not a great time for the Roman Catholic church. It is not a good time to ask even well meaning Catholics if they are church-going. Maybe there is a deeper message here.
But that is neither here nor there to me. Thank heaven, I left belief in the supernatural behind over thirty years ago! So the short answer is: "no."
C
quote:Originally posted by Cheryl@WAHM.com: I'm really not looking for heated debates with this question -- we've got enough of that in the *other* questions -- so I hope we can respect each others choices.
But I'm curious, do you go to church? Do you go with your family? Do you attend the same "type" of church you grew up in? How does this choice affect your life as a WAHM?
posted November 22, 2004 11:06 AM
Yes, I go to church. It's a long story, but, yes, I go to the church I was raised in. Not that mine is any more or less "Christian" than any other. It's just where I landed (part of the long story). My husband and I teach 5,6&7 yr. old Sunday School together.
I can't remember now what all the poll was asking, But I remember it asking about how church fits with WAHM.
WAHM is where I can love God and love my neighbor. I can come here and put others first. A genuine connection and concern.
------------------ Karen http://www.ggagolfusa.com Host a Backyard Golf Clinic and earn tour-quality clubs!!! Consultants needed in Eastern US
posted February 22, 2005 02:52 PM
Yes, I go to church with my family. I am a single mother with seven children raised in the church, and I found that it provided them with a very real sense that God is the Father of the fatherless. People in the community of faith take this teaching seriously, and because they believe they are called to do what God placed His Spirit in them to do, they provided much of the help and support I had been missing when my husband left me with seven small children.
I can tell you what the result has been: all of the children are radiant lights and examples of that same spirit helping others. They have formed lifelong friendships in the community of faith. The one son who did not join this particular church is nevertheless an upright and principled boy, and people can see the stamp of that upbringing in him.
People are people everywhere you go, and if you get very close to them, there will be personality conflicts to work through. This builds character and reveals what is inside of you. Any relationship that can get past the initial misunderstandings and keep growing in a context of committed love will become a gem in the crown of the Father who created all of us.
When God made woman to be a symbol of the church, He really knew the variety of women and of churches there would be! Everything from gracious and faithful, to backbiting and unfaithful. The seven churches in Revelation are so different, and each needs a different exhortation. Would you say your experience with women is that they are not worth getting to know? The same is true of gatherings of God's people. A good church and a good woman may be hard to find, but when you once find that one you will be committed to, it is worth giving it your best to make the relationship as beautiful as the scriptures describe it can be. "Be a Mentor with a Servant's Heart" Kathryn www.mentoringforfree.com/Kathryn
------------------ Kathryn www.KathrynDuerst.com "Be a Mentor with a Servant's Heart"
quote:Originally posted by carpidiem: I don't go to church. Do I believe in God? Yes. Am I baptized? Yes. So you may be wondering why I choose not to go to church... Well, I believe that "church" should be a place for all of us sinners to come to hear the word of God. Unfortunately, most churches I have been to around here, seem to think that only 'perfect' christians are welcome there.
kduerst reply; I read once in a newspaper column that churches are supposed to be hospitals for sinners, not museums for saints. I agree some seem to try to be the latter. However, if I stay close to God, no hypocrite will be able to get between me and God. The question for me, then, is how God sees the church and how He wants me to relate to it. Scripture is so full of "one another" type instrustions for the body of believers, I have to think that He means me to take these instructions for myself and be responsible to follow them, even if others do not. Running away from relationships does not have much precedent in the example of Jesus that we are told to follow, although He did escape into the crowd a few times when the religious leaders wanted to kill him. You could say that is the example you are following, perhaps, but He will be asking you, when you meet Him face to face, why you did not follow the other instructions about relationships in His body. We will give an account of everything we do. I ran away for a time, but I am taking courage from His example and help from His Spirit to be reconciled and not just live to please myself. The neat thing is, you can choose your own path and your own reward; He will reward us each according to our own works, not somebody else's. Their choice to ignore instructions does not free me to ignore those same instructions from the One who suffered more than I ever did, yet loved His enemies.
carpidiem: Everyone spends so much time on wearing the perfect clothes, jewelry, and make up. Then they spend time gossiping about those of us who are not perfect. Not to mention the hypocrisy of a lot of church goers....Once again, they are perfectly well behaved while in church, but once they are outside in the real world, they go back to drinking, cussing, and their sinning ways.
kduerst reply: By their fruits you will know them. If they have no spiritual fruit, ask God to help you find people who take Him seriously and produce His spiritual fruit. Nobody will do it perfectly, but if they have some fruit, God will prune that vine so it produces even more. This growth comes through the testing of relationships that sometimes hurt, where two people who love God commit themselves to learn from Him how to love each other. This is how we grow to maturity. I John says, how can we say we love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love our brother, whom we see?
carpidiem: I choose to study my bible, reflect on my life decisions on my own. I don't believe I need to surround myself with people who I don't believe are truthful, honest, or well meaning. kduerst reply: I understand this pain. People tend to have insecurities and issues to resolve, and that is why the church needed the instruction to forbear and forgive one another. I prefer to focus now on what my own response will be. Someone told me that forgiveness does not forget the pain, but it does receive the pain and does not require payment for what is lost or damaged. I go farther than this and say I not only receive the pain, but I bring it to the altar of lamentation as David did in the Psalms, and cry it out to the Lord, and let Him comfort me, and then let Him fill me with His love to pray for the one who hurt me. In this prayer, I am healed of my own bitterness. If I do not forgive others, scripture says I will not be forgiven, either.
carpidiem: Instead, I think of my church as the birds singing, the sun shining, and nature in general. I find peace in watching a bird make a nest. I find joy in seeing the seasons change. I find love in the ocean, hearing the waves hit against the rocks. I find faith when a tornado jumps over a house instead of wrecking it. And nature doesnt' lie, cheat, or steal either. In short, God hasn't disappointed me ever. People have, many many many times. The word of God is alive in me, but church is not.
kduerst reply: I love birds and nature, too, and I think Jesus did also. He needed those times to get away, alone, to pray. It is not either one or the other, for me. I cannot forsake the assembly of people for whom He died, to whom He told me to give honor and love. This requires relationship of some sort with the members of the body, the household of faith He is building, so that I can carry out the instructions He gave for the relationships with these people. Somehow I do not find much opportunity to apply these instructions with animals, although I am sure I have forgiven a dog or two, and even loved an animal or two. We are told to be kind to our beasts, also, but that does not take the place of instructions regarding relationships in the church assembly. You may find it very painful to move toward such relationships, but sometimes that pain makes me need His comfort in a way I never needed it out in the woods. Then I grow very close to Him in receiving that comfort and strength to forgive and to return love to people.
[This message has been edited by kduerst (edited February 22, 2005).]
posted February 27, 2005 06:26 AM
I was raised a baptist but for the last 12 years I have been going to Church of God and I love it. I go alone , my husband does not go . But one day he will . I go on Sunday mornings and on Sunday nights . I love church and the Lord and feel very blessed to attend my church.
posted April 12, 2005 09:12 AM
In line with Matt.6:33 where we're told to put "spiritual things first"...... yes we most definitely go. For all of the good things we've been given, I hardly think our Creator is asking too much for some of our time.
posted April 15, 2005 12:09 AM
Yes, indeed I attend services. I have joined a Spiritualist Church and am quite happy there. Before this chuch I went to a church which is a non denominatioal church and met the nicest people there.
posted April 16, 2005 04:58 AM
I go to church. I love the fellowship. I grew up knowing that my parents once went to a baptist church but they never took us to church. My whole family used to go to the same church but now my children are older an work so we are never in the same place at the same time. lol I didn't go to church for over 2 years because I found out that the church I went to was corrupt. Sadly it took me a long time to get over it. My hubby and I are finally back into church. Take care
posted April 16, 2005 08:29 PM
I have been attending church regularly for the past two months. I received my Christian "wake-up call" so to speak, when I lost my son on February 10th at five months gestation. Since then, I have been trying to keep my walk with Christ. I was raised Methodist but now go to a non-denominational Christian Church in my community ... Living Word Community Church (www.lwccyork.com). Dear friends of ours have been attending for about three years now and got us into it. The Pastor there officiated our son's graveside service and it was wonderful. He was brillant and I was hooked and so touched that he would do that for us when he didn't even know us. My husband and our daughter attend, but my oldest (18) does not.
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posted April 21, 2005 01:33 PM
I do not go to church every weekend. Sometimes all of the jobs I do prevail over mass. Four days a week I work in a teeny, tiny church about 1/2 mile from my house. The Pastor is a wonderful, spiritual woman and my kids attend Catholic school, so the Lord is never far from my mind. My current spiritual struggle is trusting in Him to take care of me. It is hard to let go of that worry.
posted April 22, 2005 08:54 PM
YES I go to church! I love the Lord and even though no church is perfect I love being around other people who love Jesus and enjoy praising and worshiping Him!!
I no longer believe in 'organized religion'... huge 'Corporations' running under the disquise of Non-Profits, makes me nauseous.
Being more Agnostic (although being raised in the traditional Christian environment) believe that you are in 'church' everyday.
'The Golden Rule, Do as Thee Wilt.. whichever version you prefer, is inside you and practiced everyday. I believe deeply that 'faith/religion' is an extremely personal journey, and it is for each to decide what works for them.
As for my child, I try to set the example of 'different god(s) for different people'. I tell her of my beliefs, yet allow her to learn about the beliefs of others. I have found a local "gathering place"..... open to all without judgement. But more importantly, they offer a Religious Education class for the little ones that discusses everything from Christianity, Judaism, Paganism, Buddaism.. and all other 'isms'.
[This message has been edited by EntrepreneurMom (edited April 25, 2005).]
posted April 25, 2005 01:48 PM
I was raised going to catholic church every weekend, we actually went to mass Saturday evening instead of sunday as my grandparents who raised me like to avoid the crowds! Now that I am a mother myself, I find I want to raise my daughter the same way, by going to church and instilling the same faith in her that I received as a child and have in me today. I would prefer saturday evening mass, but we attend sundays as was my husband's preference.
posted April 28, 2005 06:05 PM
Yes I do go to church too. I too am LDS and LOVE IT!!! Yes we emphasize on strong families. Heavenly Father has blessed my family in more ways than one. He is the truth and light in my life.
[This message has been edited by goldengirl (edited April 28, 2005).]
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posted October 29, 2003 04:33 PM
