a coherent collection of random statements regarding God, words and tunes

Here're a few questions for y'all....

And by "y'all," I mean "Y'ALL."

Which I suppose requires further elucidation anyway:

1) Despite the impending questions' ostensibly Christian trappings, I welcome responses from anyone who wants to answer these, regardless of faith or the lack thereof (yes, I'm looking at YOU, byrnes -- although "God doesn't exist and therefore these are pointless questions" probably isn't worth yr time to type ).

Speaking of which, I may regret this, but in the spirit of #1,

2) If you want to chime in on this one, Deacon Jim, y'r more than welcome to. The full spectrum IS the full spectrum. But first attack or sideways comment about anyone else's answer and y'r toast.

And thus, for #2 particularly but it applies to everyone, after all,

3) Speak yr peace, let everyone else have theirs, and we'll all get along fine on this one. If something someone says inspires something else, fine, but the key word here is "inspires." Note, I didn't say "provokes."

Anyway, I'll probably compile everyone's answers into a separate post when the time comes and/or if I get enough comments to warrant it. Otherwise I'll just leave them to the left-side gutter and those interested can check them there. But here's hoping.

SO, here's a little of the back story first: There's been a lot of talk out (t)here in Ministryland lately (particularly in the recent Willow Creek survey/book REVEAL) regarding how The Church helps people to experience God. And indications from said survey are: When people come to church, most don't experience God.

And in my particular sector of Ministryland, there's been quite the fluster about this. I have my own thoughts/answers, which I'm going to withhold for the time being (and possibly beyond), but I want to put this out there for y'all, and/or to figure out if I'm just freaking crazy:

1) How do you, personally, experience God (or at least a sense of something "beyond yourself")?

2) For you remnant who still inhabit a church regularly: DO you experience God there? How? With what regularity?

3) What, if anything, do you think can or should be done so that church becomes (more of?) a place where people DO experience God?

I'll wait.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Posted by: burninglight at 22:03 | link | comments (4)

Comments:

#1  02 December 2007 - 16:49

 

Carl,

Thanks, and sorry about the Rockies, as well as things I could have handled more gracefully in the recent past.

Really good questions. Please do not accept any of my answers as proselytyzing or evangelizing; they are just my honest answers.

"1) How do you, personally, experience God (or at least a sense of something "beyond yourself")?"

Scriptures, mass, and rosary. Also, I cannot possibly express how good it is to hear the words "Your sins are forgiven" at the end of the sacrament of confession.

"2) For you remnant who still inhabit a church regularly: DO you experience God there? How? With what regularity?"

At least once a week, on all Holy Days of obligation as well. Drove there for the sole purpose of praying in front of The Eucharist on Thusday night, which is something we like to do regularly.

"3) What, if anything, do you think can or should be done so that church becomes (more of?) a place where people DO experience God?"

Return the Mass and Sacraments, which transcend emotions. No matter how lame the priest or the music are, the readings, the sacraments, and the communion of saints are still fully intact. There is a lot of peace in knowing that.

DB

Anonymous

#2  03 December 2007 - 00:31

 

1) How do you, personally, experience God (or at least a sense of something "beyond yourself")?
Through prayer, reading the scriptures, worship and interacting with fellow believers.

2) For you remnant who still inhabit a church regularly: DO you experience God there? How? With what regularity?
Yes. As for how, its that as a Christian I believe that God, The Holy Spirit dwells within me. (1 Corinthians 3:16 - We are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in us.)(Romans 8:9 - We should be led by the Spirit of God. If the Spirit of God (Christ) does not dwell in us, we do not belong to God.) Since I am a believer and the Spirit of God dwells within me then I am experiencing God on a daily basis.

3) What, if anything, do you think can or should be done so that church becomes (more of?) a place where people DO experience God?
I think one of the problems today is that people think that they have to go to church to "experience" God like they are going to a show to be entertained. What needs to be done in a church to help people experience God is to focus on discipleship and spiritual growth and encourage people to make thier faith active in their daily lives instead of just on church days. That way they can "experience" God daily. They need to focus on maturing people in thier relationship with Christ and devloping relationships with other believers.



-rob

Anonymous

#3  03 December 2007 - 04:10

 

One other comment I have to add is the importance of keeping a church journal.

Meaning, at every service listen for at least "one" thing that God is trying to impress on you.

The second you get home, write it down, so that you don't forget it, and that you can go back and review it again week after week after you enter the other entries.

For instance, today, after mass I wrote down something that really stuck out to me, which was the verse "make no provision for the flesh", from the second reading.

So, in my journal, I simply wrote that down. No need to write a book, just a quick little point that God wants to stick with you.

When I wrote down that point, I quickly reviewed some of the previous entries and reflected on how good / not so good I am keeping them. For instance

Sept. 16 entry - "Do I have shoes that go where God wants me to go?"
- OK, I'm doing about 80 percent good on that one.

Oct. 21, 2007 - "Persist in prayer and never give up (just like the woman with the unjust judge).
- OK, I've been doing much better on that one, but can still imporve.

The point being, you are absolutely slam-dunk guaranteed to get something out of each and every service, if you are determined that you will retain at least one little nugget that God is trying to tell you.

The reason that people do not get anything out of church services is that they are not determined to glean anything out of it. We should be like sifters for gold, when we go to a church service. That is something that makes a service meaningful and dynamic for anyone.
Because we know beyond a doubt that we went out of our way to hear from God, by attending the service. So there is no way that He will let a sincere heart down.

"Seek and you will find."

"He who comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out."

Jim

Anonymous

#4  25 February 2008 - 01:12

 

"God doesn't exist and therefore these are pointless questions" would be the snide snappy answer, but of course god exists, it's just that I sim him existing in the way, say, Bugs Bunny exists: we invented him and project out guilt, dreams and all points in between upon him. But, to me, god (and the divinity of anyone from Buddha to Jesus to Elvis) is just a concept. Some use it to set goals, others to burn down countries. As far as something being beyond me, well everything's beyond me as the universe itaself unfolds all around me (and you, and you and you) Yes we are ALL the center of the universe, dig.

All I'm saying is one can be a good person w/out worshipping zombies.

That's right, I said it!
tb

Anonymous

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