"Church" (things that people don't seem to get)

[tree]

Maybe I could make the title more awkward.
For the time being I will go with "things that people don't seem to get."

Here is one.
Dancing/active praise at church doesn't have to live up to
anybody's standard of social dancing.

A friend of mine consistently criticizes people in church videos
for not being rhythmical and thus offending her sensibilities.
I think she is not getting the point.

Dancing, "shouts," or vigorous movements including running aren't
performances to please other people. They are an expression of
the individual in a relationship with God.

Not an act to be evaluated by anyone.

 

[Butterfly88]

I agree.

 

[CoffeeCat88]

Yes, I can see what you are saying. A person should praise God however they are capable and in any way he or she wants to. That is between the person and God, not the person and the others who could judge them.

Also, I have experienced being overstimulated during church sessions by loud music. The loudness of the music bothers me and makes me nervous, almost like my insides are shaking. I Don't know if this is anxiety or me wanting to dance, but it feels pretty strange. Pretty sure I don't want to dance though. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[tree]

The sensation you describe sounds to me like a person who
feels self conscious.

Maybe the church you were in doesn't generally see people
moving around during a service?

 

[CoffeeCat88]

Yes, I do feel self conscious. I really don't know anyone there because I just moved to this area. I feel very nervous there and to introduce myself to the people, and loudness adds some stress... I don't know what to make of it. Is this some sort of anxiety?
I also dislike very loud noises, and I associate loud music with loud noises, and they bother me. I really dislike going to concerts too because of the music volume and people screaming and yelling.

Some people do move around and dance at the church though. It is mostly people towards the front.

 

[tree]

 

[Judge]

Dancing, "shouts," or vigorous movements including running aren't performances to please other people. They are an expression of
the individual in a relationship with God.

Not an act to be evaluated by anyone.

On another tangent it does make me wonder if it's really true historically that the English would not permit the Irish to dance with raised arms, as it was considered a threatening gesture. Wow...such oppression if true.

 

[CoffeeCat88]

There was a TV program that mentioned the English, when they ruled over the Irish, forbade the Irish from dancing completely. So, the Irish women stood behind opaque wooden gates and/or horse stables and danced with their feet and legs alone. Quite awesome to me, sticking it to the authority figures.

 

[tree]

 

[SchrodingersMeerkat]

I refuse to go to any church where I'm required to be a member. What is this? A church or a cult?

 

[tree]

I don't know about any churches that require a person to be a member
in order to attend. If that were so, how could the congregation ever grow?

 

[SchrodingersMeerkat]

I don't know about any churches that require a person to be a member
in order to attend. If that were so, how could the congregation ever grow?

The old-school Catholic ones my mother attended wanted you to become a member. But then I hated going to church anyway. My mom threatened "There will be consequences." if I didn't go. I assumed she would take away my laptop or something. I tried to tell her how uncomfortable it made me when it was over and random people would come up and try to get all chummy with me. She said she wasn't going to tell them to go away and if I was rude to them. Even I asked them to leave me alone, my parents would perceive it as "rude" and yell at me all the way home and be angry most of the day.

 

[tree]

Another thing I've noticed that confuses people is the idea of a trinity.

 

[tree]

Example:
"Cindy" may be a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother... etc.
"Jack" a son, brother, uncle, husband, father...etc.

But "Cindy" or "Jack" represents one being.

The various titles can describe the same person.
They describe different aspects.
That doesn't mean there are several people.

 

[tree]

@Sportster said:
QUOTE
Interesting point. I would like to offer Matthew 3:16-17 for consideration: "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Son is baptized, the Spirit descends onto Him and the Father issues a declaration from heaven.
END QUOTE





There's probably people who'd find that a stretch of the
imagination, believing that could happen. These would be
the ones who think God is somehow limited.

 

[OkRad]

That is interesting. I have been to churches where people could do whatever they felt the Spirit led them to do. Other churches which were quite sacerdotal and you'd to stay on the page. To me, I don't mind either.

 

[OkRad]

I've yet to find anyone or any book that can adequately explain the doctrine of The Trinity in a way that mere mortals can grasp. I once saw it taught using a shamrock with each of the leaves being The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit; the three were separate, but yet one and the same. A study of the life of Jesus illustrates The Trinity, but its' still difficult to fully grasp.

City of God by St. Augustine. He is able to explain the most intricate and complex theological things in the clearest way humanly possible. As to the Trinity, he talks all about the previous theories and how these theories were based on what previous natural philosophers inferred. Like seeing the stars. They perceived these things, but were maybe off. I would love your take on him if you have read him.

 

[Joshua the Writer]

Agreed.

 

[Vinca]

I used to sing this at primary school, it brings back fond memories

 

[tree]

One of the churches in a nearby county posted this last month,
now that they have started streaming their services on-line.

Spoiler

The people leading the service and the choir were all
related family members, so they weren't exposing any one to
contagion, any more than they would be by staying home. But the
rest of the congregation has been advised to stay home. And it
is a new experience for them.