9.12.2004
Growing Up in God
Church tonight was revalatory but not in the way intended by the preachers. The pastor was out tonight so the boys had the floor. They both did well what they did but I have to confess that I seem to have grown beyond where they are. This is hardly surpising with a 20 year age span separating us but I tend to hope for better in the spiritual leadership.
The unintended theme tonight was guilt. Guilt at...
... not witnessing enough
... not reading our Bible's enough
... not being humble enough before God
... not depending enough on God
I found I have turned into my father-in-law. I stood there asking, "OK, so what if I am already witnessing enough, reading my Bible enough, humble enough before God and depending entirely on him for everything?" Without going into the question of how much is "enough" I must say that the breast-beating, while sincere, was also shallow. There was very little positive action that was taught, just what we "ought" to be doing.
I can't really articulate the sensation other than to say a lot of Al has taken root in me. Candy says that Sunday night doesn't hold a lot of attraction for her and I can see why. It's nice as far as it goes but it doesn't go very far. It's good for what it offers but it doesn't offer much. It has breadth with no depth. It's a nice switch from being raised in depth without broad application but neither extreme is worthy.
Am I holding out too much hope to ask for a church with both breadth and depth?
Church tonight was revalatory but not in the way intended by the preachers. The pastor was out tonight so the boys had the floor. They both did well what they did but I have to confess that I seem to have grown beyond where they are. This is hardly surpising with a 20 year age span separating us but I tend to hope for better in the spiritual leadership.
The unintended theme tonight was guilt. Guilt at...
... not witnessing enough
... not reading our Bible's enough
... not being humble enough before God
... not depending enough on God
I found I have turned into my father-in-law. I stood there asking, "OK, so what if I am already witnessing enough, reading my Bible enough, humble enough before God and depending entirely on him for everything?" Without going into the question of how much is "enough" I must say that the breast-beating, while sincere, was also shallow. There was very little positive action that was taught, just what we "ought" to be doing.
I can't really articulate the sensation other than to say a lot of Al has taken root in me. Candy says that Sunday night doesn't hold a lot of attraction for her and I can see why. It's nice as far as it goes but it doesn't go very far. It's good for what it offers but it doesn't offer much. It has breadth with no depth. It's a nice switch from being raised in depth without broad application but neither extreme is worthy.
Am I holding out too much hope to ask for a church with both breadth and depth?
