What do you think of Religion?
Growing up in England you were either Church of England (Protestant) or Catholic..if you were the latter you went to a different Elementary school..so I grew up with religion as part of the Curriculum..we had assembly's where we sang hymns and said the lords prayer..we knew the significance of Easter..what happened Easter Sunday..same as the story of Jesus and Mary and Bethlehem..we did plays at Christmas...it was just part of school..I also went to Sunday School for years...everyone was christened as babies...most people got married in church...we never really thought about it..everyone one in the village knew the Vicar..he would come and have a drink in the pub on occasion...what I'm trying to say is it was no big deal..it was just a part of life..I got a bit of a shock when I came over to the states..there is a different church on every corner..some are in store fronts in strip malls..one day it's a Chinese take away next week a church..stick a banner up saying "New fellowship of God Church" and there you have it...people will show up and start handing over their money ..it baffles me...there are so many different religions here too..Baptist..Southern Baptist..Born again Christians..Pentecostal (actually they had that in England too) Episcipal..Lutherans..Presbytarians..New Age...the trend around here is these big churches that are "trendy" run their services on huge flat screens..have rock bands..wear trendy "God" t shirts...it all seems a bit commercialised to me...and there are some real hypocrites too..act like fools all week go to church on Sundays and repent and all is forgiven...and the snobbery in these places is unreal...give me the old school church...a good story from the bible..and few hymns and a cup of tea and a chat afterwards... :-)
On a deeper note I am envious of people who truly "believe" I don't..I have tried..I have been to a lot of different churches..the message is the same..you have to believe..just open your heart to the lord and he will come...pray for forgiveness..look you can't fake believing so I guess I will keep trying to find "it" whatever it is..I pray.. I always have..I like to think there is a heaven and one day I will see my loved ones again...I would love to have the kind of faith that I see in some people..their absolute joy in their beliefs..it must be awesome...
L xx
4 comments:
I know what you mean. I remember as a child, passing several churches before coming to "ours."
My husband and I are messinic jews: jews who believe that the Messiah has come, (Yeshua) It isn't a part of our lives, but the center of it. Even in those times of struggle and darkness, our faith is the thing that keeps us going. When Mark is deployed, we often pray together over the phone and keep the High Holy days the best we can. Faith in G-d is just that; an act of fact, a knowing in your heart and soul that He is. It's like knowing your loved. And if you and your family are ever in Virginia, your welcom to our home for Shabbat supper :)
I am probably what you would call that old school church person. I grew up with it and it's still a part of my life. To believe is a grand thing indeed. I'm thankful every day for my faith and would be lost without it. I'm sorry that you've not been able to find your connection with a church here like the one you had there. I know that the good Lord watches over us all which ever church we go to or don't go to. Bless you!
I am Lutheran. When I was a child we went to church and Sunday school. We stopped going when I was about 9 years old. But what I had learned and the feelings I had for the church stayed with me.
My ex was Catholic and during the time we were trying to repair our marriage, we went along with his sister to her church..I loved it. I had the same feeling that I had when I was younger and attended church.
I have gone to many churches since, trying to find that same peace and have not been able to.
They all seemed to have the new age feel and that is not what I'm looking for.
I don't necessarily believe that you have to go to a building to have a relationship with God.
I pray to and thank God every day:)
Sheri
Like Ma, I couldn't survive w/o my faith. What you see in so many churches, sadly, is mostly not what God intended church to be. Few there will be to find the path, the Bible says. It's about LOVE. The only way I think a person can really understand God and his love to is study or be connected to his Word. At times when I am going off the path, I try to reign myself in by reading. God likes intimacy with his children. Pouring our hearts to him and allowing him to fill our void. I'm still learning!
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