tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post111791867442385305..comments2008-12-09T15:58:46.416-05:00natalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05169875093170987241noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1118588021467509472005-06-12T10:53:00.000-04:002005-06-12T10:53:00.000-04:00I love this! How wonderful to find other who share the same train of thought on what is. Thank you!Karynhttp://lifematters.typepad.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1118076609360111752005-06-06T12:50:00.000-04:002005-06-06T12:50:00.000-04:00today i am wondering if church done big can work.... it's tempting to reply yes, of course.. but after reading this and seeing the things that tend to surround 'big' i wonder if it is really possible. do people just get in the way? did jesus need programs and info groups and comment cards? what if the church just was, and let god be who god is, and didn't worry about the corporate side of it. what if what we had were small strong comunities rather than one huge mess? <BR/>my thoughts of the day .... <BR/>thanks sam and jennifer for the comments. sam - i do see church getting like wal mart, i have said before i feel like some church's become 'the comment driven church' and the focus is just how to get bigger. <BR/>jennifer - i hear ya. and i am so happy you continue to search, be open, there are probably a lot of folks in your youth group who are feeling the same. <BR/><BR/>more later - <BR/>natalaNatalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05169875093170987241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1118023040974005132005-06-05T21:57:00.000-04:002005-06-05T21:57:00.000-04:00YES! Tired of the complexity. Didn't someone say "keep it simple, stupid" ? ;) Do you think maybe that's what God would say when looking down at all of the back flips, lights, all of the electric guitars and fancy stuff? I wonder what kind of theatrics Paul and company used. And how many programs they set up! Natala, you would not believe how many things our YG has set up, and yet, each time I don't feel like I learn anything about what it really means to love God, or to be a Christian. I do learn how to "Kick it Jesus style" <BR/>Your Pal, <BR/>JenniferJennifernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1118022457183463622005-06-05T21:47:00.000-04:002005-06-05T21:47:00.000-04:00I got this as a response (via) e-mail and asked the person if I could post it to my comments. I thought this sums up so much of what is being said. i thought about the ministry and life of jesus, and to me it seemed simple... do we really need all the uncesary complexity? to me so often i feel as though god just keeps getting lost in all of it. the bigger church gets the more complex and rigid it seems... , the smaller god gets. <BR/><BR/>(i told them i'd keep them anonymous) :) much thanks for your insight.... <BR/><BR/>"I know one thing for sure, many people are tiring of complexity, especailly unnecessary complexity, and unnecesary rigidity, too"this is from an e-mail i gotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1118022285625297482005-06-05T21:44:00.000-04:002005-06-05T21:44:00.000-04:00I got this as a response (via) e-mail and asked if I could post it to my comments. I thought this sums up so much of what is being said. i thought about the ministry and life of jesus, and to me it seemed simple... do we really need all the uncesary complexity? to me so often i feel as though god just keeps getting lost in all of it. the bigger church gets, the smaller god gets. <BR/><BR/>(i told them i'd keep them anonymous) <BR/><BR/>"I know one thing for sure, many people are tiring of complexity, especailly unnecessary complexity, and unnecesary rigidity, too"i got this in my e-mail and really wanted to put it in my coments... much thanks tonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1117988703557626592005-06-05T12:25:00.000-04:002005-06-05T12:25:00.000-04:00Natala, <BR/>As someone who truly hates the idea of organized religion, as it is in the United States, I must say that this portion of the book that you have highlighted is very interesting to me. For a long time I have been very skeptical of large Churchs. In fact, I think that I would not go to a Church that was large if I were ever to go to one. Unless I wanted to hide, which I would think some people go for that very reason. It seems to me that in the United States Church is nothing more than a money making and political machine. And that Churchs really don't care one bit for the people outside of the Church, but only the ones inside. Which is fine to a certain extent, but isolation never got anyone anywhere. The evangelical red Christians in the huge Churchs, or the Churchs that just want to be huge, have no idea how they come off to the rest of the world. To me Church has become like Wal Mart, everyone hates them, but somehow they have become a necesarry evil in our society. Frankly, I would much rather shop at small stores where everyone knew me, and cared about me.<BR/>Like Jennifer, I am also interested in going to DC, I may be able to go next weekend. I will e-mail you. <BR/>Thanks, <BR/>SamSAM, Dover PAhttp://no web pagenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1117943176821260082005-06-04T23:46:00.000-04:002005-06-04T23:46:00.000-04:00flavia and jennifer - i love your words, and you both teach me so much. i wish i had your insight when i was younger! i pray for your journeys, wherever they may lead. my husband and i are going to the first worship service on the 12th (next sunday) if you want to come with us - e-mail me: natala dot constantine at g mail dot com<BR/>susie - that's the best thing i've heard about a church in a while, and so refreshing. what would happen if a church got to a certain size, and it became a few little church's? i would think small groups spread out would have so much more of an impact, as a comunity. <BR/>oh i could write so much on this... <BR/>ah more posts! ;) <BR/>much love -Natalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05169875093170987241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1117942525101119142005-06-04T23:35:00.000-04:002005-06-04T23:35:00.000-04:00love this, will link to this! spent yesterday downtown at the servant leadership school's come & see event. they are affiliated with the chruch of the savior, started by gordon cosby and get this... in the material about the church it says "committed to smallness" can you belive that! a church committed to staying small enough that it can reamin a community...http://sam.typepad.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1117942488285913682005-06-04T23:34:00.000-04:002005-06-04T23:34:00.000-04:00GRL- JN Sent ME THIS WTF!!!! WHY don't the Church get this? SERiSLY! What if the DEVIL IS BEHIND BIG STUFF?! It's Like THAT purpose driven crap (SORRY if you LUV that book) all the HYPE that was INSANE!!!! And the book taught me that my purpose was not reading books like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL I tell my mom the Devil can hide better in a big place! HAHA!!!! JN I LUV U! I agree 10000%% I know EXACTLY how to ACT in youth group, they think I'm all HOLY! WTF! It's because It's so BIG no one really cares and no one NOTICES. It's time to take our BAGS somewhere ELSE JN! <BR/>THANKS <BR/>PEACE <BR/>LUV<BR/>HAPPINEESS <BR/>FLAVIA TASTE THE RAINBOWFLAVIAhttp://httP://livejounal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1117942080929750032005-06-04T23:28:00.000-04:002005-06-04T23:28:00.000-04:00Natala, <BR/>This is the best thing I have read about the problem I am having Church right now! I feel like it's all just one big program, and all so fake and manufactured. All they talk about are programs and inviting a billion people, and getting so big, and they want to grow. How big do they need to be? Why can't our youth group be 20 people why does it have to 300 + why do we need program after program, why do we need all the drama and the lights and the other crap? I really hate it all. And I am starting to think I am not the only one! <BR/>Thanks for posting this. I think I may print it out for my Youth Pasor, God knows he would have no clue what a blog was! haha<BR/>Oh! Let me know about the DC worship thing. <BR/>Thanks again, Your pal - <BR/>JenniferJennifernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1117941787521874172005-06-04T23:23:00.000-04:002005-06-04T23:23:00.000-04:00i love the new profile pic by the way ;) go ahead - steal away - i stole it ;)Natalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05169875093170987241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236745.post-1117933969792402202005-06-04T21:12:00.000-04:002005-06-04T21:12:00.000-04:00That is awesome!!! I am SO stealing this post<BR/><BR/>;-)jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07323243151997926304noreply@blogger.com