church issues
Perhaps the hardest situation to deal with here in ABQ has to do with the church. We're really struggling with where to place oursevles, or maybe more theologically correct, where God wants us placed.
We've been to lot's of different churches. At one of them we are the youngest by almost 50 years and it seems to be dying. At another (one we thought we would land, primarly due to some friends who go there) they want to spend the next two weeks in Sunday School talking about the BFM of 2,000 and its importance for M's overseas (this is after a HUGE veternans day salute in the chuch complete with Slide show of Jets and planes in war which we were willing to overlook). They also said that that when you join this church you are saying you believe the BFM. These two examples seem to reflect our overall experience.
Here's the struggle: Liz and I have believe that it is imperative for Christians to be in communmity with other believers, but how do we do this when the majority of churches are so different they us (and not that we are the standard of "right"). Liz and I are afraid to be ourselves and say what we believe, primarly due to what's already been said about the things we feel are important (ie. inerrancy, women etc..), we try not to sit there in judgment but i think we might often fail. We just seem to have a differnet outlook on so many things! Of course maybe we shouldn't look so hard at certain theological turningpoints and focus on what we do have in common (romans 14 and 1 cor). But then are we being true to who we are? Can we really expect to be able to look past some important differences and celebrate what we do have in common?
After much searching Liz and I did find that there was a mennonite church here in ABQ, so we are going there Sunday. Maybe we'll have better luck.
We've been to lot's of different churches. At one of them we are the youngest by almost 50 years and it seems to be dying. At another (one we thought we would land, primarly due to some friends who go there) they want to spend the next two weeks in Sunday School talking about the BFM of 2,000 and its importance for M's overseas (this is after a HUGE veternans day salute in the chuch complete with Slide show of Jets and planes in war which we were willing to overlook). They also said that that when you join this church you are saying you believe the BFM. These two examples seem to reflect our overall experience.
Here's the struggle: Liz and I have believe that it is imperative for Christians to be in communmity with other believers, but how do we do this when the majority of churches are so different they us (and not that we are the standard of "right"). Liz and I are afraid to be ourselves and say what we believe, primarly due to what's already been said about the things we feel are important (ie. inerrancy, women etc..), we try not to sit there in judgment but i think we might often fail. We just seem to have a differnet outlook on so many things! Of course maybe we shouldn't look so hard at certain theological turningpoints and focus on what we do have in common (romans 14 and 1 cor). But then are we being true to who we are? Can we really expect to be able to look past some important differences and celebrate what we do have in common?
After much searching Liz and I did find that there was a mennonite church here in ABQ, so we are going there Sunday. Maybe we'll have better luck.
posted by Ellis Family at 8:17 AM
5 Comments:
Personally, I think the Mennonites are pretty rad. I hope you have better luck there. Love you too.
Cool, I want to hear about the Mennonite experience.
I hope it goes well!
it's good you and liz are in it together! i'm having a tough time settling on a church by myself down here, though i'm considering being a temporary methodist. love to you both!
Kristen and Leigh here.... sitting in waco in our pjs reading your blog. we love you... blessings on your continued search!
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