Greetings...

Re: Greetings!!

The Jaded Fool said:
Hey Dondi...

Again let me clarify before I start throwing names around... I am speaking of my life, my journey... and those individuals that I have been in contact with... I do not believe that everyone within the denominations that I have experience in were legalistic and arrogant... though looking back there were individuals who were... me included... :)

I attended an Assembly of God college and was a youth pastor at a nondenominational charismatic church... The roots of the church were in the Word of Faith movement... but it had broken from that and was independent at the time of my service...

Peace
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Understood.

Indeed, I've been to AoG and non-denom charismatic churches and found most are not in the least legalistic. In fact, in many cases just the opposite, though they do adhere to the common tenets of the faith, i.e inspiration of the scriptures, virgin birth, etc.

The WOF movement, however, I have problems with, particularly with certain TV evangelists that attempt to manipulate viewers into sowing faith seed and committing to vows in return for promises of "blessings". One wonders exactly who is going to be the one blessed.
 
Re: Greetings!!

I guess where the legalism hit me the most was not with the basic tenants... it was with the supposed rules and regulations... or with fighting huge theological battles over things that were minor in the scope of what it means to be a christian...

For instance... there was bad blood between our head pastor and the pastor of the methodist church because the pastor of the methodist church believed that the holy spirit represented the feminine aspects of Gods nature... being the comforter, nurturer, etc... I didnt see any issue with that... I thought it was a kewl way to look at it... well... apparently... I am a heretic... lol

This led to a huge debate over where I was in my relationship with God... and ultimately led to me being called a heretic in a board meeting... :eek:

That is only one of the many memorable moments in my journey... :)

Peace
 
Re: Greetings!!

The Jaded Fool said:
I guess where the legalism hit me the most was not with the basic tenants... it was with the supposed rules and regulations... or with fighting huge theological battles over things that were minor in the scope of what it means to be a christian...

For instance... there was bad blood between our head pastor and the pastor of the methodist church because the pastor of the methodist church believed that the holy spirit represented the feminine aspects of Gods nature... being the comforter, nurturer, etc... I didnt see any issue with that... I thought it was a kewl way to look at it... well... apparently... I am a heretic... lol

This led to a huge debate over where I was in my relationship with God... and ultimately led to me being called a heretic in a board meeting... :eek:

That is only one of the many memorable moments in my journey... :)

Peace
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Pretty shallow reason to brand you as heretical. There are reasons to believe that the Holy Spirit compliments the paternal aspect of the Father with motherly wisdom (see Proverbs 1:20-23). Even the word Shekinah is feminine:

"The Shechinah, the manifestation of G-d's presence that fills the universe, is conceived of in feminine terms, and the word Shechinah is a feminine word."

Source: Judaism 101


Even if you don't view the Holy Spirit as feminine, you would have to acknowledge that God isn't anthropologically male, either.

But it is certainly not a major enough issue to me to warrant excommunication, nor could I see it having anything to do with your relationship with God. Indeed, any study of the function of the Holy Spirit as it pertains to ourselves ought to enhance our relationship with God.
 
Re: Greetings!!

Hi Jaded..This all goes to prove, perhaps, that the devil is definitely in the details. I try to stick to "big picture" scenarios. Ay least my life seems to work out better that way.

Sorry for your troubles along your way, but we all seem to run into them as far as "the details" are concerned. Focus on the way, and the best choices of forks in the road become more natural for you. Or as my Dad used to say quite often,"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." But I think he stole that from Yogi Berra.

flow....:)
 
Re: Greetings!!

Dondi...

I used the exact same arguement in the board meeting at which I received my "Heretic" title... which I wear proudly... THANK YOU!!... lol

It was also blatantly stated at this board meeting that GOD was a MAN ( as in a male )... and anyone that questioned that questions the very basis of our faith...

To which out of frustration I said... "I just don't understand why, in relationship to our salvation, that GOD needs to have a penis."...

Uh oh... pastor dave said PENIS in a board meeting...

CRUCIFY HIM!! lol

Peace
 
Re: Greetings!!

flowperson said:
Hi Jaded..This all goes to prove, perhaps, that the devil is definitely in the details. I try to stick to "big picture" scenarios. Ay least my life seems to work out better that way.

Sorry for your troubles along your way, but we all seem to run into them as far as "the details" are concerned. Focus on the way, and the best choices of forks in the road become more natural for you. Or as my Dad used to say quite often,"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." But I think he stole that from Yogi Berra.

flow....:)
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Heya Flow...

No worries here about the troubles along the way... they were years ago... and they all seem quite comical now... lol... I do however worry about those that are still caught up in places like that... :(

As for today and the forks in the road... I try to take the path of love... Its not always the easiest road... but at least at the end of the day... I can sleep... and my heart is happy...

Peace
 
Re: Greetings!!

The Jaded Fool said:
Dondi...

I used the exact same arguement in the board meeting at which I received my "Heretic" title... which I wear proudly... THANK YOU!!... lol

It was also blatantly stated at this board meeting that GOD was a MAN ( as in a male )... and anyone that questioned that questions the very basis of our faith...

To which out of frustration I said... "I just don't understand why, in relationship to our salvation, that GOD needs to have a penis."...

Uh oh... pastor dave said PENIS in a board meeting...

CRUCIFY HIM!! lol

Peace
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Maybe it was your tact. I don't think I would have put it in so blatant terms. I will say, however, that as far as God the Father goes, Jesus did established that He ought to be addressed as such, you know that "Our Father, which art in heaven..." thing. Relationally, it speaks of an authority figure, much as our fathers are traditionally authoritative in our lives. Moveover, if you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, then, yes, God does have a penis.

But again, there are a myriad of reasons why God became flesh in the form of a man and not a woman, not the least of which to convey the relationship with a Husband (Christ) and His Bride (the Holy Spirit-filled church), beautifully illustrated in Ephesians 5:22-33. Get the picture?
 
Thanx Earl... :)

I think I will hang on to the jaded title for a while... I have grown quite atrtached to it... heh :rolleyes:

Peace
 
Re: Greetings!!

Dondi said:
Maybe it was your tact. I don't think I would have put it in so blatant terms. I will say, however, that as far as God the Father goes, Jesus did established that He ought to be addressed as such, you know that "Our Father, which art in heaven..." thing. Relationally, it speaks of an authority figure, much as our fathers are traditionally authoritative in our lives. Moveover, if you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, then, yes, God does have a penis.

But again, there are a myriad of reasons why God became flesh in the form of a man and not a woman, not the least of which to convey the relationship with a Husband (Christ) and His Bride (the Holy Spirit-filled church), beautifully illustrated in Ephesians 5:22-33. Get the picture?
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Hey Dondi... :)

I left out the first hour of the arguement... my tact had run out by that time... lol...

The point that I was attempting to make in the meeting is that we ought not try to fit God into our little box of understanding... and that I did not feel that we should use the concept of the Holy Spirit as representing the feminine aspects of God as something to divide the churches even more...

We had been meeting weekly with other church leaders in town to try to foster some type of fellowship between our congregations... and my head pastor was wanting to withdraw... due to the Holy Spirit issue... it seemed than as it does now... something we should not let divide us...

Peace
 
Re: Greetings!!

tis funny how here on earth all those that are our creators, giving birth, having sons...are female...

and how that notion just tears apart some folks...

maybe that is something men have to look forward to in heaven....giving birth!
 
Re: Greetings!!

Welcome, Jaded Fool! :D
wil said:
tis funny how here on earth all those that are our creators, giving birth, having sons...are female...

and how that notion just tears apart some folks...

maybe that is something men have to look forward to in heaven....giving birth!
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Umm, I would say that giving birth was more like going through hell than being in heaven, but that's just my own experience....
 
Re: Greetings!!

seattlegal said:
Welcome, Jaded Fool! :D

Umm, I would say that giving birth was more like going through hell than being in heaven, but that's just my own experience....
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I remember the first birth I attended...hmmm the only one, as the doctor's kicked me out when they had to do a C-section for my twins.

Anyway, I was up in Alaska and became a friend of this one family, parents in their 60's, kids in 20's and 30's, and then grandkids... I helped teach one of the grandkids swimming, an infant whose mom and dad were afraid to take him to the infant class but wanted him to get used to the water as they had two older boys and a pool... So I went...what an experience with an infant under water...they joy in their eyes, incredible. (I was able to do the same with my own years later...)

So does this at all apply to Jaded's discussions? I think maybe...it is strange where we end up, and where we find family. When I went to Alaska, there was family there...but they weren't welcoming...and strangely I found a family without looking who defiinetly was welcoming and I had a fabulous time... I also reconnected with the one that wasn't.

The metaphor I see, is that Jaded will be back leading, with a group which is more welcoming, more suited, more comfortable and through that relationship will heal the past to where it is seen as a growth experience and not a negative at all...


But back to the birth (the original hijack direction of our Jaded friends greeting) Another one was having her first baby, and the husband was too squeemish to attend...somehow I was in there...oh she screamed bloody murder...cursed a blue streak...swore never again...less than a month later she was talking about another one...
 
Hey wil...

Thanx for the encouragement :)

I very much appreciate it!!

I miss having the oppurtunity to share my heart with others... and I must say I find it a little difficult in this written form... :) I am much more comfortable speaking to people and sharing my heart and passion in that form... but I am learning and growing... and thats a good thing... woot!!

Peace & Love
 
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