A conflict in my head?!?!?!?!?
I had a very interesting conversation with another teacher at work about the way people demonstrate their faith. She goes to a pentocostal church in Sydney and I go to an Anglican church in Wollongong. Having grown up in a Catholic church, I was quite shocked when I moved to and Anglican church- I thought it was really different and upbeat and, I dont know, very modern (that is not quite the word I am looking for but it will do)- I know, I know, those who go to my church will laugh- I realise now that I actually go to a quite conservative church. We were talking about things such as talking in tongues, healing, falling to knees, etc. This stuff really scares me, I mean REALLY scares me! It may be that it scares me because I dont understand it- I know that it goes on in the Bible and I know people who (seem completely normal) do it. What I was thinking (and I would really appreciate some opinions and comments on it) is that maybe it really does depend on the church you go to. Like, at my church, people dont even put their hands in the air and she says that it is really strange at her church if people do not raise their hands- that they are not really "feeling" or praising God if their hands are not raised. Maybe it really does depend on what church 'type' you go to. She also told me about the first time she spoke in tongues- it was completely random- she was sitting with her sister and she just started and didnt even realise it. Her church spends the first 1/2- 1 hr singing (she says her church is like a concert every week) and jumping about. I am not saying that I think one way is better than the other as she seems like such a totally committed Christian. I am just curious what people think about the idea that we worship according to the way our church worships- I mean I dont know, do you know people who do these things? What churches do they attend- do they go to my church? I really dont know. Let me know
posted by Mel M at Thursday, May 26, 2005
5 Comments:
The problem is that this "spiritual" (Im using that word completly wrongly and in the wrong context and stuff but you know what I mean) sence of worship is so abused.
If you dont lift your hands in the air your not praising god. (Yep tradition, I dont see a biblical basis for that one) If you dont speak in tongues your not a real christian (Yep, again tradition, in fact the bible warns us about speaking in tongues for prestigue rather than to serve god.
There is so much misunderstanding and abuseing of this kind of stuff, that the anglican church have reacted in the exact oposite way.
I was talking to my minister at my old church about this and he informed me that there were in fact peope in our church who had spoken in tongues, and still did on ocasion. They didnt make a big thing out of it, its just one form of gift given them by god. They didnt want to boast in it. They didnt want to be treated differently because of it.
Personally I think we have reacted far to far in the negative direction to these gifts. Its important to not place too much importance on them, but its also important not to place to little... they are something given to us by god himself.
It should be used to glorify god, just like any spirit-given gift or competency.
0.03
Matt
I guess that we should think about what Paul and the people in the bible did. I believe that they realised theses things were valid, but what emphasis did Paul put on those things. How much does what he have to say depend on studying the word of God? I think, alot. If you meet for 1.5 hours and spend the first half of it singing, then how does that build people up in the way that the NT talks about.
Would say more but need to go to JBS.
It is something I have been wondering about- as I said it scares me a bit but I suspect that is tradition and ignorance on my part. I think it is problematic when it becomes the ONLY way to worship- I cant truly see a reason not to do this (as long as it is not used against the bible- like without an interpreter or for showing off) but what she was saying was that it gave her a close spiritual relationship with God that cant be gotten (to her mind) without these 'gifts'
I think you've pretty much got it. If we start saying this is the _only_ way to do something we are in problems.
As Chindogu points out .. I think Anglican's are a bit too wary of emotion, but by enlarge we do need to make scripture the rule by which all is judged - and if i can be so bold, I think here we do have it write.
Though we need to be careful in how we relate to those who might disagree with us. (ie. the are a person, loved by God, not the idea itself).
Hmm, did that at all make sense..
made sense duncan, I think too often we relate poorly (wrong word but it will do) to those who may disagree with us- we MUST love them and remember that God loves them too- and yes, Anglicans can be a little too unemotional- I am not sure the Bibnle points to any "right"way to worship except as you wrote- we need to be bible focussed.
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