Week 7: Loving The Church

Mar 07, 2008 07:05 AM
Okay...
Perhaps asking for 5 is too much...
Suggest 1 thing that keeps you from getting more involved with other Christians.

Mar 07, 2008 04:50 PM
Unchristian lifestyles.

Mar 07, 2008 05:59 PM
Is it perhaps that we are afraid to share who we really are? Are we timid because we don't want other believers, and/or, others at our church to see that we are not always all smiles; that we yell sometimes, lose our temper, or that our house is not perfectly kept, whatever?

Are we afraid that there would be too much spitiual accountability amongst each other? Do we not want to become "spiritual nerds?"

Just some thoughts. For me, I truly enjoy spending time with fellow believers. I can be my spiritual self and talk freely about my faith and what God is doing in my life, or what I have learned from Scripture without the worry of possibly offending someone that does not believe. I have faith in common : )

Mar 08, 2008 08:57 AM
A big one for me is my mouth.
Not that I use it to bite or attack (at least not recently), but I either error on the side of saying either too much and alienating people or, in response to that problem, not saying anything and still end up alienating.
I just want to be perfect already - ! Then this wouldn't be a problem!

Mar 10, 2008 08:58 AM
My answer is the same as Leni's but I would sub-divide it into the following 5 expressions of "un-Christian lifestyle"

1. Judgment. American Christians spend too much time drawing distinctions between other people and themselves. I find that our call to be "separate" (Biblical) tends to take are of itself, and requires little direct effort on our part in terms of looking at others. Looking at ourselves and responding to God's transforming power MAKES us more separate then any amount of cultural criticism could.

2. Hypocrisy. This needs no elaboration.

3. Ignorance. As a group, American Christians do not understand their own scriptures, history, tradition or theology.

4. Materialism. Most Christians are driven by the same shallow impulses to get stuff and experience thrills that the rest of the world is.

5. Weakness. Many Christians exhibit an inability or unwillingness to endure the refining work of being a disciple of Jesus...so their lives are cluttered with unaddressed behaviors and thinking that detract from intimacy with God and with others.

Yikes. Am I in a mood today?

Mar 10, 2008 02:37 PM
Good outline.

There is a difference between struggling in our christian walk and saying we are christians and not walking. I still want to witness to that peson, just not get "invovled" or "fellowship" with them.
I'd say my relationship doen't end with these things...it is just different.
Does that make sense? (for fear of sounding snobish)

Mar 10, 2008 02:55 PM
What do you mean by "Other Christians"?

Mar 14, 2008 08:48 AM
For what it's worth, while contemplating my above response, I read "other Christians" as "Christians who are not me."

Not sure if Shea meant anything else....

Mar 15, 2008 07:46 AM
That pretty much pegs what I meant Dan...