hearing from God restricted

Great illustration. I wonder if they are listening in stereo or mono though. 🙂

If you can’t hear Jesus (he is the “Word of God”, not the Bible!) speak to you outside the four walls of a church building, you’re putting him in a box, not to mention putting him in a straitjacket.

Steve that is one of the saddest posts I have seen you make yet.

Oh …I get it. Wait a minute…

How’s this?

‘Everything is great! Hunkey dory! There’s no God that reallyt cares about anything of importance. No real justice…so no real judgement. Tell the preachers to go to hell and just have fun! Believe what you want and do what you want! We are no more valuable to God than the squirrels and the cockroaches and catfish. Just make up whatever you’d like reality to be!

How’d I do?

I think that fits in here a bit better. It’s not so terrible.

I know you don’t have to be in “Church” to hear God. I hear Him much better in my private prayer time. However, I do still hear Him in Church and what’s more I get a shared experience others in His body. And yes, like Steve said, I get to partake in His divinity in the Eucharist. As a Catholic I believe all believers are a part of the mystical body of Christ, the Church, and you shouldn’t separate yourself from that. I need the Eucharist. I need Reconciliation. While I know God can touch us any and everyplace, He does so in a much more special way in these and other sacraments. I know I am probably about to get blasted by the ex-catholics and doubters, but I don’t just believe these things, I know them based on experience. No person could ever hurt me so much to ever keep me from Church. Sure people can be mean and ugly. Clergy can be corrupt or neglectful. But I am not going to let them come between me and God. That is letting anger, resentment, and hate come between you and ultimate love.

I think Steve is saying that the Word of God is clearest from the pulpit from the church he attends. Suddenly our open minded forum is not so open minded.

I concur with NP there when he says that is terrible. An experience of Jesus which is so limited as to only occur in a building set aside for that purpose… If Steve doesn’t hear the the Word of God at the movies, or at the park, or at the grocery store then such is to be lamented as terrible. At least as, if not more, terrible than not hearing in a building supposedly set aside for such a purpose (I believe Steve’s church is one in which he does hear it, from his accounts).

As for myself, I struggle to find a ‘church in a building’ in which I experience a meaningful, conscious Lord’s Supper. (Everyone say ‘Awww, that’s terrible’). Thankfully I know some folk for who it IS important and we can share in a park, at a movie, even, potentially, at a grocery store.

But Jacob, Steve thinks he is the free-est of them all… Just ask him.

I was not born and raised in a church; but my wife was. Whilst I have never seen the necessity of the building; my wife deeply believes the building is part of the package.

At one point in time, we attended a Vineyard church, because Bonnie (my wife) was feeling very disconnected from God. I asked the pastor permission to attend (I am transsexual, after all), and he allowed my attendance.

Over time, Bonnie healed emotionally and spiritually – just by attending on Sundays, worshipping with others, and feeling ‘back home’. We attended from April 2010 to July 2011.

So, I think I understand Steve and Prayer Punk a bit. And it is OK. The brick-and-mortar structure may matter deeply, and be part of the package that helps you grow spiritually. May our Lord Jesus bless you within the church-structured.

I met with the Vineyard pastor a few times during our visit. He would offer some thoughts; I would offer scriptures. He was puzzled, after all, I was a ‘Samaritan’, and yet knew the Word of God better than he.

I was also (at that time) a pastor/evangelist that met with the Latino day workers and shared Christ and food with them – illegal or not; out of prison or hiding from the law; gang member or not. Later, I moved my area away from the Latinos and into the homeless camps in the woods.

Part of the reason the Vineyard pastor shattered in our relationship is shown in this cartoon by David. He truly believed that he was the leadership, and that he alone heard from the Holy Spirit of God. He believed that he should be a gatekeeper and pace-setter… and I simply did whatever the Spirit asked me to do. He assumed that I would heal of transsexualism; I assumed that I would follow Jesus, and leave the healing (if any) to Him and His timing.

Steve and PP, I am glad the church-structured works for you (and for others). But think of how rich the church universal would be if we allowed the church-structured to work with, bless, and not attempt to hinder the church-unstructured? It would be Acts 13 and Acts 14 all over again, with people turning the world upside down for Christ.

Much love in Christ always and unconditionally; Caryn

@BW It’s okay, we were all where Steve was and might I add I still ain’t anywhere yet. We’re on a journey, some further than others toward truth/enlightenment call it what you like. I believe the challenge is staying challenged. question what you believe and give others some space. I haven’t arrived either. Still moving along this path with God, but open-minded.