Switching Churches

[billyeah]

I was raised in a mennonite home, and was instilled with those values. For those of you who don't know, Mennonites are sort of like the Amish, just not quite so 19th century. Anyway up until a few weeks ago I attended a church where I grew up in. In this church there is no electricity, the men and women sit on different sides of the church, the service is in german and the songs in german as well. I was baptised in this church when I was 18 and made a promise to remain in that church and help it grow. and at the time I was intrigued at the opportunity to be a part of a body of believers, and help the church be the best church it could be. But unfortunately the more I attended the more I realised the church was very happy to remain the way it was, and was actually very opposed to change, even if it would have been beneficial to the congregation. eg. (putting in speakers so people could hear better). So after much prayer and deep consideration, my wife decided to attend a different church where everything is in english and they have speakers to enhance sound. Now my parents and my inlaws were very upset that we would do such a thing. (Not that they were apposed to the church)They said that we had made a promise and couldn't go against it. Almost like a marriage. I would just like to hear other peoples opinions, outside the mennonite realm. I am comfortable with my decision, I think this is what God wants from my life, but I would just like to see other peoples views about it.

Thanks and God Bless

Bill

 

[Don]

Bill, my name is Don from the central USA. I understand your point. It will be you stand before God on judgment day. To serve God you have to walk in Faith. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. Tradition and rutine kill the working of the Holy Spirit. Our ways are not God's way. We have to walk in Faith to learn Gods way. Just pray and read your Bible. Have faith and wait on God. He will show you what he wants you to do.
A Friend Of Jesus Don

 

[anne]

I come from a traditional church, too, and there was a time when I too, got frustrated with the routine and ritual of our worship, and the way the leaders resisted change, whether in new songs, new language or whatever. However, after several years worshipping in many different churches, I have seen that even the supposedly less ritualistric churches have actually developed their own unwritten rituals and routine which they are equally strict about! ;-) And equally resistant to change!

So I am a lot cooler about these things now. All people and groups who hold to the basic truths of the gospel belong to the universal church, so I'm ok with worshipping in a liturgical service, or in free worship, in English or any of the other languages I know, covering my head in the more traditional church, or not, in others...

I do, however, feel more of a sense of responsibility to my original church, simply because its a monoethnic group, with little outside influence, and if good change is to come, it has to come from people like me.

God bless you

 

[Coconut]

Following Christ may require a man/woman to walk paths unknown and even unaccepted to his/her earthly family. (as i`m sure the many Mennonite martyrs of the early church would agree) However we must be careful we are not following after 'things.' Loudspeakers do nothing to bring the presence of God into the place of worship, nor allow His voice to be any better heard. (of course you already know this

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love.

Phi 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.