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Sunday, January 31, 2010

For My Eyes Only

So...I'm starting to wonder whether or not I'm actually supposed to give this blog out or whether this whole project is for My Eyes Only. I'm thinking that this project might all be about my own need to reunite myself with the Holy Spirit instead of tell others about it. But then what was with the voice I heard when praying for my sister Christine? Was that all in my head and did I somehow confuse my own voice with God's? Was I actually just thinking that its my responsibility to help spread the message of God and to save people from the hopelessness that exists without Him?

I wonder if maybe it is a coincidence that I started this blog 2 weeks before I THOUGHT I heard God's voice and that He hasn't asked me to tell people about Him. But if that's the case, then my claim to have heard a message from God is false and I can't help but be a bit worried that I'm thinking I hear a call from God when I don't. I don't want to be some chick that thinks she hears God's voice but its really just her mind playing tricks. I think they call those people crazy:)

I have to admit however, that even as I type out that possibility I just don't feel that this is the case because if it was, why does God seem so present in my life today? Why is God so obviously here lately? It's like I opened some door and now God reveals Himself in everything I do. I can't watch my favorite TV program without my eyes welling up because I feel overjoyed by the Love of God and His presence in that moment. And it's not like I was just saved. I've had a relationship with God since I was 5 years old when I prayed that He would make me less frightened of the monster I thought might be under my bed and even then He delivered on his promise and put my mind at ease before I fell asleep. A loving, intimate relationship with God is not a new concept for me. We've been friends for years:)

You know, sometimes I think it's my responsibility to not do so much deducing and instead just let things be. I spend so much time wondering now what He wants from me and maybe that's a lack of faith since all I have to do is ask Him to use me the way He sees fit and that's enough. I'm just so excited about this project and about His presence in my life that I can't help but wonder what I CAN DO. But then the Spirit reminds me that it's not about me again:) Funny how much I notice my self-centeredness now. What can I do? What will He use me for? When will he use me? It's all about me sometimes! I feel blessed that I now constantly recognize the selfish tendencies I have. Since they're pointed out, I have a better chance of silencing these thoughts. When they bubble up, I simply say a small prayer that God keep Himself at the forefront of my thoughts.

This process is just so amazing. Everyday I learn something new about Him and everyday I experience His love. I can only hope I continue to grow in Spirit and that these 52 prayers turn into a million ones. And now, a quick shout out to the One who made this all possible....

Thank you so much God for immersing Yourself into my life. Without You God, I am nothing. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for blessing me. The joy and peace I have living within my heart is all because of You. I ask Lord that Your will be done through me. Glory to You God!

Mormon Missionary Visit #2

I had mentioned here previously that I had the Holy Spirit proclaim to me that I should not convert to Mormonism. While I still affirm that I have no business converting, I'm starting to realize that I'm not being called to ANY specific church and that's what God was showing me.

However, I am really enjoying my time with the missionaries. They are challenging me to be more of an active participant when reading Scripture, and when we are together, I can feel the Holy Spirits presence in my heart. Today, I revealed to them that I felt God during our conversations and they looked sincerely pleased that I had this observation. They even convinced me to come to their church this week because all of the local stakes will be joining together for one service. Since this deviates from my project of going to a different church each week, I've decided to go to an early morning service and their service as well. That's how much I've enjoyed their company and I've enjoyed practicing with them. With all that being said, I'm still not converting:) I still feel that some of them are holding on to their hard sell strategy when speaking with me about their beliefs. I much more enjoy the time I spend with them when they are encouraging the process of revelation as opposed to asking those closing sales questions like, "so do you feel like we're more right than some of the other churches you've attended? Are we the most right ya think?". But they're young, and admittedly new to the ministry. I have done a ton of research on what these missionaries endure during their 2 years, its fascinating but I won't go into that now. I will share that I have enjoyed the Elders company greatly and I look forward to learning more from them each week as I allow the Spirit of God to guide me in understanding the Truth.

Televangelism: The Leaders and their community

While having dinner at my friends home one night, I mentioned that I enjoyed watching sermons on television from preachers such as Joel Osteen and Charles Stanley, I was immediately met with skepticism when my girlfriend while sipping on her water nervously whispered "oh. *ahem* you like that?" Her reaction was certainly not one I was unfamiliar with. Just a few days ago I was having a conversation when another friend made a troubling statement "almost all TV evangelists are criminals who are involved in some sort of scandal."

I can appreciate this skepticism because I continually find that evangelical approach has moved toward self-righteousness and away from what it's intended to be which is witnessing with a gentle voice. In 1st Peter 3:15 , God commands us to witness with meekness and respect. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." Because of many evangelicals have not witness according to his command, evangelical is now a dirty word. I continually find myself defending these men and their ministry because I believe it is with good intentions that they spread the message, but with a failing tactics.

The media has had great success when portraying ALL evangelist as criminals. It's not all that often that a prime time story is based around the wonderful things an evangelical church has done. Who would watch that? Americans like stories of doom and gloom and the media gives us what we want. I understand that it's all about ratings, but I do believe that traditional media is partly to blame for only highlighting the bad that comes from these mega churches.

Not to mention, televangelist usually are bringing in millions upon millions of dollars. This alone is enough to raise some eyebrows. Where is all the money going? What are the salaries of these preachers. I was delighted to read that one of my favorite pastors, Joel Osteen actually draws no salary from his sermons. 100% of tithing goes directly into the church. That fact warms my heart since that's usually the biggest problem people have with these churches. I like to see the shift in perspective for people who view ALL evangelists as "greedy criminals" when they hear of Joel's generosity.

Somehow it just doesn't resonate with me that it's okay to have riches if you're Donald Trump because you chose to be in the real estate business, but it's not okay to have riches if you devote your life to God and that's your business. For some reason when you're a man of God, people expect you to drive around in a 1990 station wagon because you get paid from tithing and you receive compensation from "other peoples money". If you have a luxury car, watch out! You must not be for God but for yourself. I say who cares if you ride a luxury car but have given 5 million a year to the poor? I would like to see good preachers make millions for spreading the Word. However, I think it's much like preaching the word of God to prostitutes. You must hold strong in your faith and pray that God works through you to get the message out so you're not tempted while working on His behalf. Because temptation in any form can bring about sinful nature. I think if one can be content when you're rich as well as when you're poor, then it is okay to enjoy the financial blessings you receive. But of course that's my opinion, not something I found in scripture.

In 1 Timothy chapter 6 beginning in verse 5. Paul has been talking about false teachers, and he says there are false teachers: who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

It seems to me that the warnings here from the Bible are for those godly men who are tempted by the love of money, not money itself. I think in many cases, this is what we're seeing when Evangelist are giving in to the temptation that comes from having so much money coming into their churches.

Some televangelists have been grave disappointments and brought much embarrassment to the Baptist and Assembly of God denominations from which they represent. Falwell, Swaggert, Baker and Gorman have publicly done things that clearly do not serve as an example of Jesus's desire for our lives. However, these are merely men. And they fall short. Like we all do. And of course it makes the televangelists appear to be broken and it fosters doubt that their teachings are rooted in the Word of God. But I have certainly heard God's voice in their messages. And it appears millions of other people have to which is why they have gained in popularity.

Joel Osteen's book was on the best sellers list for months. I know personally Charles Stanley planted a seed in my father's heart that encouraged him to be a seeker of Truth. There is NO DOUBT that these ministers have ignited the desire within peoples hearts to know God. It is also undeniable that many people who heard about God through a TV program never would have been subject to it had they not been able to have the convenience of hearing His message by simply changing the channel on their TV sets. That alone is enough I believe, for seekers to support their ministries, while at the same time revealing to their fellow Christians the truth in the scripture regarding the love of money.

If millions upon millions of dollars are spent. Who cares? If some of them have their sins exposed on national television and the world rebukes them. So be it. That one person who has turned to God because of them, makes it all worth it. Of course I hope that these ministries are led by holy men who exemplify the characteristics of Christ. I hope leaders are honest, generous, kind, peaceful, and non-judgmental so they can encourage even more non-believers to learn about God. But if God can forgive a man like televangelist Swaggert for sleeping with a prostitute, and so can his wife.....well then certainly so can I. And I hope he continues to share the Love of God with everyone he meets and I pray that through his suffering, he learns that his will alone is not enough in the face of sin and that his pain reminds him that only GOD can renew him. Isn't that what the message should be? That we can't be holy men? That even the best of us are the worst of us and that is the entire reason we needed Christ to die on the cross?

I don't think it really matters if we are the head of our families, heads of our churches, or the head of the nation...we are nothing and we all fall short of the glory of God which is why we need Jesus in our lives. That's the message. So when a public figure who is a man or woman of God publicly admits his sin after preaching about God for years on TV we should use this as an opportunity to rejoice in the coming of Jesus instead of write them off as "less than" Christians. Since when did we get such authority?

I had a really hard time finding fact based research about the origins of televangelism. Most everything I came across was more opinion based like my post above. If you'd like to learn the history of televangelism, I found this article and it seems to be written from reputable resources. http://hirr.hartsem.edu/ency/Televangelism.htm Enjoy!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Mormon Door To Door

2 young missionaries from the Mormon church came to my home unannounced today. While I initially was frustrated because I was in the middle of working, I soon came to see this as an opportunity to learn some more. I opened the door and both gentleman stood there, Book of Mormon in hand greeting me warmly. When I asked them to come in, they asked if a male was present in the home. Without a 3rd party male being here, apparently they're not allowed in. I guess that makes sense. Luckily, my husband was home so they were able to come and and visit with me for a few minutes at my dining room table.

The young men gave me a brief run down of the story of Joseph Smith but not before they started us off in prayer. Both men mentioned that they were actually here in Virginia for 2 years away from their families in their hometowns of California and Utah. The only oral communication they have a year is two phone calls, one on mothers day and the other on Christmas. They are also allowed one email a week to their homes. I didn't know whether to applaud that or feel bad for them. In one regard it certainly shows a level of devotion, on the other, what's the point? Are there not people in California and Utah to need to hear the story of Joseph Smith? I guess I shouldn't pass judgment on it since I'm not the one doing it. But it does make me wonder. I also couldn't help but wonder if the gentleman from Utah was from a community like Big Love. I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind though since I know they don't like the HBO stereotype. But I just couldn't stop myself from wondering what his 6 mothers must be like. Shame on me. Thank God for forgiveness.

They were both very kind and they left me with a Book of Mormon verse to read so we can discuss it during their next visit to my home which will be Tuesday of not this week but the next. We're discussing Nephi Chapter 11. I'm kind of looking forward to it actually. They asked me if I felt anything during their conversation with me. If I had any inner feelings--I know what they were referring to. That "raised skin" feeling that occurs when someone talks about God. I think it's the Holy Spirit where you just feel RIGHT. Well, I did feel it. Not sure if it was because of their beliefs or just my own. But either way, I'll hand it to them. The feeling was certainly there.

Oh, one more God Wink before I end this post.....the missionaries explained to me that apparently the Book of Mormon (which is about Jesus's time here in the Americas) had its place in history right after Nehemiah built the walls back up in Jerusalem. Just interesting how that was the reference they chose to use since I can relate it to the Book of Nehemiah in the Bible from last weeks sermon at Velocity.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Is it enough to just believe in something?

I've always been the kind of person who desperately wants everyone I meet to feel comfortable in my presence. I pride myself on being the type of person who is accepting and non-judgmental and when I find myself judging others, I have an inner desire to release myself of this sin.

I'd like to look at every situation and put myself in someone else's shoes and see it from their perspective. And when someone says to me, "you know, I just feel like as long as we believe in some type of Higher Power, then we're okay" I instantly want to respond with, "I agree! To each his/her own. Just as long as we're good people who believe in SOMETHING." And that's usually my answer. And I do honestly WANT to feel that way. I WANT to believe that we're inherently good people and that as long as we are aware that there is something in this life that is bigger than we are, that we'll all be okay... but if I'm being honest with myself I have to admit...I don't think that is enough. I mean, almost everyone believes in SOMETHING, right? It's pretty rare that there are people out there that can look up at the vast sky, the trees that grow from the earth, the sun that hovers above us or the miracle of birth and think that us humans are responsible for all of it.

So why would I accept this statement without sharing what I believe to be Truth which is that believing there is a God is not enough? And that you have to desire a relationship with Him to experience Him. You have to seek the Truth and live according to the Truth He reveals to you.

If I'm being honest with myself, it's because I have been more concerned with being politically correct and not offending my neighbor than not offending God! How silly!

Monday, January 25, 2010

"My sheep hear my voice - John 10:27

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27

So, this month has been incredibly enlightening so far. So many "coincidences" have happened and since I don't believe "coincidences" exist, I'll call them God Winks. I once read a book about how God communicates with us in our life by sending us little signals that the author referred to as God Winks. These signals came in the form of coincidences. For instance, when looking back on the last 4 weeks, I find some things incredibly "coincidental." WINK WINK

1) The Unity church was my first choice during week 1.

It just so happens that as I embarked on this journey to understand different religions and spiritual traditions....my first chosen church was one that has its mission rooted in the fact that they are a non-judgemental of other religions even though they have Christian undertones. I didn't realize this when I chose the church but instead afterward. I believe this was a God wink. God chose this church first, to encourage me to move forward with an open heart and mind.

2) The Mormon church was my second choice during week 2.

When I left the Mormon church, I was high on the energy I got from this group. I was talking really fast, I came home in almost a manic state as I spoke about the unique traditions and beliefs that these individuals hold. But the one thing that kept creeping up in my mind was from my research I had done on the Mormon website. It said DO YOU WANT TO KNOW IF THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE WORD OF GOD, YOU WILL KNOW IF THIS IS FOR YOU BY ASKING GOD IN PRAYER TO SHOW YOU THE TRUTH. This was so powerful! And something I truly respected. Regardless of my mania caused by the newness of this congregation, this was by leaps and bounds the one thing that kept creeping up in my head that week. Consequently, I did take their advice and I am not convinced that the church is for me. I am still learning about their faith weekly as the missionaries come by and educate me on their practice, but the Holy Spirit has convinced me that I can learn about a religion and not take everything they take as "gospel". God winked. I now have the knowledge that I can take this journey confidently because I KNOW that God will not allow me to take a wrong turn. The Mormon church taught me to not fear this process. But to embrace it.

3) My third week was the Catholic church. The sermon here was about living a life for God. It made me question my position in life and ask myself why I do the work I do. It was all about service. Days after the sermon, I had started 2 volunteer projects I had planned for over 2 months. One of these opportunities is aimed at helping young women create social change in their neighborhoods. My job was to coach them to make these changes. When I asked myself why I was doing this volunteering, I soon realized this service was for me, not for the girls. I wanted volunteer work to fill my time, I wanted to coach so I could get experience working with people to improve my communication skills, I even wanted to do this service so I felt good about myself...nowhere in my answer was I doing it to actually CREATE social change or help the girls gain confidence that comes with accomplishment. God winked, and He showed me that there is a greater task at hand. I have learned to take a hard look at what I do and ask myself if it is self serving, or if I am doing my work with other people in mind which is true service.

4) Finally, this week I learned the story of Nehemiah at the Velocity church. I have truly been struggling with this blog. I have had a major AHA moment when I looked inside my heart to see why I was writing this. Why this project was important, and what I hoped to get out of it. I have been called to share this blog and share His message. Like Nehemiah, I should move forward courageously. But I haven't because of fear of selfishness. I secretly hope this blog gets huge. I secretly hope people read it and praise me for showing them the way. How foolish. How freaking foolish! This is NOT ABOUT ME!

God's wink was a bit stronger here than ever before. My pride is stopping me from picking up my cross. I'm afraid to share this blog because I'm afraid that in doing so, I'm opening MYSELF up to ridicule. I'm hoping people like MY writing. I'm hoping I GET acknowledgment from how cool this is. HELLO? WHO CARES ABOUT ME? This is God's blog! It is God's message. God didn't come to me and say, "share a message about you! And let it give people hope because of you!" NO! He said, "Tell people about ME, so they can have hope in this life" Like Nehemiah, I am to tell people about it. I am to build the walls here. But I am to do it for God. this has absolutely nothing to do with me. I'm blessed He's even letting me be a part of it! I need to give up this fear and share the blog with other people so I can share what I'm learning about God with others because this is His will.

Last night, after having this great revelation, I stopped at a restaurant in Baltimore on the way to see my sister in NJ. I overheard the bartender there talking to a customer about a movie called the Book of Eli which is about the hopelessness and destruction that would exist without God. I immediately wanted to launch into "I HAVE A BLOG!" but instead, I stopped myself and sat silently in prayer as I asked God whether I should share the good news or not. I asked God to let HIS will be done. The woman was talking about how she was a Christian but didn't have a small church she liked for her and her son because she doesn't really love conventional churches because they're exclusive and judgmental. When I had the permission from God, I shared with her that the Unity church might be a good fit for her because they are very open and non judgmental. I also shared with her this project. "Coincidentally" another man overheard. By nights end, they had both requested the web address. The story poured from my mouth without my permission. This was God's voice, not my own. I wrote down the address and I sincerely felt that God's work was being done in my brief conversation with these two individuals. SO if either of you are reading......I wholeheartedly want to thank you. Because you were both in the place you were, at the time you were, on the day you were, I am now able to move forward confidently and courageously for God. You were both very much on purpose. I overcame my fear because of your interest and encouragement. And for this, I sincerely thank you!

Church #4: Velocity Church

I woke up completely ill prepared on Sunday morning without having done any research on a church this week. I assumed that I would attend Ekoji Temple since this service and the Southern Baptist church in the fan were the only two left on my list other than the Unity church which I had already had the chance to experience in the beginning of this project. However, when I went to Ekoji Temple website (www.ekojirichmond.org) , I saw that the Temple recommended new visitors to come for an introductory session to learn a bit more about their practice before attending a service so I decided to heed their advice and wait until I had the opportunity to do so. Maybe next week?

Admittedly, I also had to take a trip to NJ on Sunday afternoon so I didn't want to travel all the way from Short Pump to the fan to attend the Southern Baptist church on the corner of Boulevard and Monument. Because of my commitment to attending a new church each Sunday, and since I have a sincere desire to enjoy church instead of reluctantly going out of the feeling of being obligated, I decided to attend a service close to home so I didn't feel rushed and in turn, I venture off my initial list of churches from my first post. I believe this decision was not at all a coincidence, but instead, very much a vibrational alignment with the intelligent design of our universe. Sunday morning, at 10am I walked into the Short pump movie theater as a first time visitor of Velocity Church. (www.velocitychurch.org)

I had seen flyers around town about the church but I knew very little about them or what they believed in. After doing some research on their website, I realized they were a non-denominational church that puts Christ at the center of their teachings. There creed is that the Bible is the Word of God and that Jesus Christ is the answer and that the Bible holds the answer to all of life's questions. It's pretty simple, and pretty beautiful, I think. It takes away the power of the people, and the power of the church, and leaves the power to God.

THE CHURCH

When I first walked in the lobby I was welcomed with a slice of cake and a church bulletin. While I passed on the cake, I was tickled pink that they were offering it since that could only mean one thing....I could bring in my coffee! Oh how I love a church that lets you drink coffee!

I could hear music coming from down the hall. When I entered the movie theater area the sermon was kicked off by one of the pastors singing a Christian heavy metal song. He wore a star tattoo on his forearm along with several others. He certainly wasn't the traditional Preacher I was used to seeing, but I could see how the churches modern atmosphere would attract young adults and teens to their church.

The website claims to be the church for people who normally don't attend church. Their self-proclaimed unorthodox service consists of video sermons, rock bands, and lots of interactivity with the congregation. They use modern technology as part of their recruitment methods. They believe that church doesn't have to be boring and formal. It can be energizing learning about Jesus Christ and we should be passionate and enthusiastic about being His followers! No pews, or closed toed shoes, no long robes and traditional hymnals. There's no need to answer to a board, just one Supreme Authority and that's Jesus Christ. We can clap, rejoice, be a little funky, dance a little bit, sing a whole lot, and have FUN while we praise God.

Tim Cole is the Sr. Pastor and head of the West End service. He spoke a bit about the church and led the congregation in prayer. Many people wore jeans to the service and they were certainly encouraged to "come as they are" much like the Unity church but the undeniable theme here was Jesus Christ. They weren't touting a Prophet other than Him, they weren't being PC and claiming that there were "other ways to get to heaven" they were very direct, they were about one thing and one thing ONLY....the study of Jesus Christ as we know and understand him through the Holy Bible.

THE SERVICE

The 10am service lasted approximately an hour and I highly enjoyed the sermon. I felt of all the churches I had attended this far, the Velocity Church was the most Christ-centered which makes sense since that's it's mission. They focused on the blood of Christ and passed out Bibles to whomever wanted one, they even encouraged us keep them. They use the Bible as their "map" to right living. They read from it and asked us to read along as well. So far, this is the first church that had actually asked us to pull out our Bibles and follow along so we could interpret it ourselves. There was something about this practice that really resonates with me. I love how the pastors don't claim to hold anymore authority than us when it comes to religion, they don't seem to pretend that they are privileged enough to pass along some Divine message to us that we can't get ourselves directly through the power of prayer and reading of God's word. Instead, the pastor led us in prayer before even cracking the book open that God may speak to us through the stories and have us learn something from it as he delivered his sermon to the congregation. I did learn something.

THE SERMON: The Story of Nehemiah

We studied the book of Nehemiah which is a story about one of God's most courageous men. When the Jews did not obey God, He punished them by allowing the king of Babylon's army to defeat them, and then order the people to live far away from their home of Judah in the city of Babylon. Some time later, the army from Persia defeated the army of Babylon. A servant of the king of Persia named Nehemiah learned about the news of his hometown of Jerusalem from his brother and heard that the walls surrounding the city were nothing but piles of rubble. Nehemiah asked the king if he could rebuild the walls of the city again and the king granted his request. Along the way, Nehemiah faced great opposition from jealous people who didn't want him to succeed in his task. But with much dedication and prayer, the story ends with Nehemiah and God's people, rebuilding the walls within 52 short days even though it appeared to be an almost impossible goal to achieve. God allowed these men to perform a miracle with his help.

The Bible tells this story of Nehemiah and his mission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem even when he faced great opposition as a lesson to God's people regarding faith, integrity and what it truly means to do the Lord's work. Nehemiah never wavered in his devotion to this task regardless of how many people worked to stop him because he knew that God wanted him to rebuild the city for the Jews. Even when faced with an impossible mission, he kept moving forward with confidence and joy in his heart. Nehemiah was a great example of how a man can put God even above his SELF. This is the type of devotion God wants from us. When he calls, he wants us to pick up our cross and follow faithfully. He wants us to say YES to Him, regardless of our own position in life, he wants us to be more like Nehemiah and put God's cause first. Nehemiah left prestige, money, power, and went to a Pagan king to plead for the right to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem because He had FAITH and CONFIDENCE in God! This is a remarkable and courageous man!

The story begins by telling us how fearful Nehemiah was. But the fear wasn't enough to stop him from standing up when he was called. The moral here is that Jesus wants us to be like Nehemiah when he calls. He wants us to be courageous even when we are mocked because of our beliefs. He wants us to passionately and confidently move forward when we hear his voice. If we are prompted to tell people about Christ, we should run to do so because HIS WILL be done, not our own. Even if we are fearful of what negativity might come from it, we are to live for God and trust in his cause. With the FAITH of even a mustard seed, we are to know that all things are possible through Jesus Christ. We, like Nehemiah, are unstoppable when we have God on our side.

Velocity Church was certainly a church I would recommend if you are open to modern music, tattooed pastors, a casual and younger congregation, and sitting in a movie theater instead of a traditional church. If you can appreciate the unorthodox way they practice, you'll find that the Holy Spirit is alive and well in the Short Pump Cinema. And I think that's all that matters.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Restoration Movement: Independant Church, Churches of Christ, and The Disciples of Christ Communities

"Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent."
- Thomas Campbell, heretic

According to the 2006 Directory of Ministry (www.directoryoftheministry.com), The Independent Christian Community along with the Churches of Christ, are two of the fastest growing Christian groups, and currently has over 5,50o churches in North America. The DOM offers the following definition: "Members of Christian Churches and Churches of Christ believe in the deity and Lordship of Jesus Christ, the inspiration of the Bible and the autonomy of local congregations. Following the basic principles of the Restoration Movement, they accept and teach believers baptism by immersion into Christ for the forgiveness of sins; they assemble for worship the first day of the week, making the observance of the Lord's Supper, a focal point in such worship. They seek the unity of all believers on the basis of faith in and obedience to Christ as the divine Son of God, and the acceptance of the Bible particularly the New Testiment, their all-sufficient rule of faith and practice."

The Restoration Movement began on the American frontier in the 19th century during the Second Great Awakening which was a time of religious revival in the United States. This evangelical activism involved an important doctrinal shift away from the predominately Calvinist orientation that had characterized much of eighteenth-century American Christianity. (www.nationalhumanitiescenter.org)

According to the Christian Restoration Association (www.thecra.org) the movement created a community of believers known as "Christians" only. Their congregations are simply Christian Churches, with no denominational influences.

The group has a desire to "restore" the church of the New Testament in its doctrines, ordinances and faith which led to its name. The Association claims that there only one belief is this: "Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord our Savior. Our book of doctrine, or list of beliefs, is simply the Word of God. Thus as one man has expressed it, "We have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no name but the name Christian."

During the period from 1794 through 1835, six separate groups were organized with the purpose restoring the New Testament Church as it is found in the pages of God's Word, the Bible. In every case they settled upon the name "Christian" for their members and "Christian Church" or "Church of Christ" for their congregations. Their baptism was by immersion for the remission of sins, and the Lord's Supper was observed the first day of every week. The 6 Movements were as follows:

a. James O'Kelly Movement

The first effort toward a Restoration of Christ's Church began in 1794 under the leadership of James O'Kelly a Methodist minister from Virginia. Under his direction, several Methodist churches in that state took upon themselves the name of "Christian" only.

b. Abner Jones Movement

In 1801 Abner Jones, a Baptist from Vermont and New Hampshire, broke with the Baptist church and began an independent movement for the purpose of returning to the "old paths."

c. Elias Smith Movement

In Connecticut in 1807, Elias Smith, another Baptist, led his congregation into the New Testament position. Later, in 1812, he and Abner Jones joined their efforts and went on to establish congregations each calling themselves simply "Christians"

d. Barton W. Stone Movement

While these events were taking place in the East, out in the hills of Kentucky a Presbyterian minister named Barton W. Stone was leaving the Cumberland Presbytery with his entire congregation. In doing so, this group formed what became the Cane Ridge Christian Church. In the book Attitudes and Consequences, Homer Hailey writes: "These people were calling themselves `Christians,' rejecting human creeds and party names, appealing only to the Bible for their guidance in faith and conduct."

e. Alexander and Thomas Campbell Movement

About this time, Alexander and Thomas Campbell- a father and son-both Presbyterian ministers from Pennsylvania, broke from their denominational background and began organizing Christian Churches throughout that state. By 1832 the Campbell group, which by that time far outnumbered that of Stone, united with Stone's Kentucky churches to form the largest and fastest growing religious organization of that time. Again, let it be noted that their union was based upon their identical belief in the need and possibility of restoring the New Testament Church.

f. Scotch Baptist Movement

The sixth group to enter this growing stream was that of the Scotch Baptists of New York. Although not as large as the others, this group also left denominational ties and sought out others holding the same New 'Testament position.

therestorationmovement.com managed by Scott Harper includes the full text of 19 books from the Restoration Movement as well as a link to many others. Harper sites the Restoration Movement having since divided into multiple separate groups, but the three main church bodies in the U.S are the Churches of Christ, the Independent Churches, and the Disciples of Christ, Together, these groups claim about 3.5 million members in the U.S.


Thursday, January 21, 2010

Church #3: St. Michaels Catholic Church

On Sunday of this week, I attended the 9:30 service at St. Michael Roman Catholic Church located at 4491 Springfield Road, Glen Allen, VA. The area where the sermon was held was a mid-sized room with Roman style theater seating. There were no large statues of saints lining the wall area nor where there any elaborate decorations. It was quite simple compared to the Catholic churches I'd been to in the past.

Reverand Mr. David Nemetz led the service along with another gentleman which I didn't get his name as it wasn't written in the church bulletin nor is it located on their website http://www.saint-mikes.org/ but he was WONDERFUL. He was an Indian man whose sermon really inspired me to want to be a better, more service-oriented steward.

He challenged each of us to ask ourselves who we were in life and why we thought our life circumstances were unique to us. He said if we are doctors, lawyers, teachers, homemakers, ministers, why did we think we had gained those specific titles as opposed to another profession?

He went on to preach that whomever we were, and whatever titles we held, that if we thought for one second that we were given our blessings because we deserved them, then we were completely missing the boat. I feared that he was going into a direction I had never been a huge fan of. That we are all evil inside and our only goodness was from God. I'd grown up having the same sort of stuff rammed down my throat and it never made it attractive to be a Christian. It always just made me feel bad about myself. The philosophy that we are evil and flawed, constantly falling short didn't ever settle right with me. I'd rather phrase it in the positive...we are good because of God. I was relieved to hear he wasn't instilling fear in us with his sermon instead, he was opening our eyes to the beauty that is service.

For example, if I was a Math Teacher because I enjoyed the act of teaching and was great with numbers, earned my degree, studied my butt off so I could become a licensed teacher because it made me feel really proud of my accomplishment, and even if I was an incredibly great teacher....each daily math lesson would be meaningless. He said (and way more eloquently than me I'll note) that the only way we can be truly successful at the earthly titles that God has given us is if we understand this truth..... I am a teacher, because there is a student who needs to taught by me. I am a plumber, because someone NEEDS me to fix their toilet. Not because I am a gifted, talented plumber with a great business model who is skilled at what I do...but because there's a clogged toilet that only I can fix.

He urged us to do what we do every day with this thought in mind: Who needs what I have to offer? Do what you do joyfully. Serve others with the gifts we are given because there is no greater way to please God. We are not the people we are because it serves us. We are who we are because it serves God.

To love God is to love your neighbor, to love your neighbor is to serve him with the gifts we've been given by the goodness of Heaven. It seems so obvious but sometimes I think we forget. Who do we serve? If the answer is not God, it doesn't matter if we make it on the cover of Fortune, we're missing the real treasure that comes with being of service to others.

After the sermon, I was thrilled to see that I would be witness to the baptisms of several newborn church members. Before it began, I turned to a friend of mine who attends their regularly and she had tears in her eyes. She's usually not what I'd call the emotional sentimental type so I was surprised to see her this way. She leaned in and whispered, "Oh yes! The baptisms are about to start. These always make me cry." I wondered why this moved her so much since these children really had no say so in any of this, but instead, it was supposedly being chosen for them. How could this be beautiful, its not even real until they can understand what it all means. But then, to my surprise, and in the blink of an eye, my heart swelled with love, and my eyes filled with tears. It was beautiful. As the community sang a sweet lullaby, these babies were welcomed into this church with open arms. No judgments, no questions about whether they were truly right with God, no whispers under everyone breath about whether they'd pay their complete tithe this week.... just acceptance.

For a brief moment I wondered if I wanted to be accepted into the Catholic church. Do I want this community to accept me as "good enough" to partake in the sacrament, or baptize my own children with their Holy water? And then once again, the holy spirit eased my brief panic and reminded me that I was already accepted by something even greater than our understanding...and I had to do nothing at all but by His grace, it is already done.

I found from my experience at St. Michael's that this group of people had been blessed with an understanding of what it means to give with a joyful heart and be good stewards of men. They have a jobs assistance ministry called JAM, they support a mission group in Haiti, support 2 boyscout troops, a Knights of Columbus group and more. They make me want to give more of myself to God. This Deacon truly set such a glorious example by giving me a sermon that I NEEDED to hear. I hope and pray that the Lord uses me to serve according to his will.

After the service coffee and donuts were provided for anyone who wanted to stay and chat. Oh, and I can't believe I almost forgot the coolest thing of all... (okay maybe not as cool as the gift of service but...)this Catholic church lets you were jeans! I mean, at least 30% of people wore jeans. Adults too, it was not just the kids and teenagers who took advantage of this. I liked the idea of a casual environment. For some reason, I just doubt God is standing up in heaven looking down and saying, "can you believe their wearing jeans?" so I was thrilled to see that it wasn't frowned upon to come as you are.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Catholic Community

According to the Catholic Institution website, www.catholic.org there are very clear rules that one must live by in order to be considered a Catholic. Here is a general breakdown of the Catholic faith:
  1. To gain the happiness of heaven we must know, love, and serve God in this world. Man must know, love and serve God in a supernatural manner in order to gain happiness of heaven. Man is raised to the supernatural order only by grace, a free gift of God.
  2. We learn to know, love, and serve God from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who teaches us through the Catholic Church.
  3. In order to be saved, all persons who have attained the use of reason must believe explicitly that God exist and that he rewards the good and punishes the wicked; in practice they must also believe in the mysteries of the Blessed Trinity and the Incarnation.
  4. By the Blessed Trinity we mean one and the same God in three divine persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
  5. By the Incarnation is meant that the Son of God, retaining His divine nature, took to Himself a human nature, that is, a body and soul like ours.
  6. The Church is the congregation of all baptized persons united in the same true faith, the same sacrifice, and the same sacraments, under the authority of the Sovereign Pontiff and the bishops in communion with him.
  7. We find the chief truths taught by Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church in the Apostles' Creed.

The Commandments

  • Besides believing what God has revealed, we must keep His law.

The Two Great Commandments

that contain the whole law of God are:

You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind, and with your whole strength; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

To love God, our neighbor, and ourselves, we must keep the commandments of God and of the Church, and perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

The Ten Commandments of God according to the Christian Bible.

  1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.
  2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
  3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's day
  4. Honor your father and your mother.
  5. You shall not kill.
  6. You shall not commit adultery.
  7. You shall not steal.
  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
  10. You shall not covet you neighbor's goods.

The Chief Commandments or Laws, of the Church

  1. To assist at Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation.
  2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed.
  3. To confess our sins at least once a year.
  4. To receive Holy Communion during the Easter time.
  5. To contribute to the support of the Church.
  6. To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.

When reading this, a few things stand out to me that I'd like to explore. First is the Catholic belief in how people experience eternal life and glory in heaven. It states:

1) "Man must know, love and serve God in a supernatural manner in order to gain happiness of heaven. Man is raised to the supernatural order only by grace, a free gift of God."

But then they go on to note that they way we "know, love, and serve God from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who teaches us through the Catholic Church" Here, the church is clearly indicating that the way through Salvation is through Christ, but the way to Christ is through the Church. Therefore, am I right to assume that they believe Salvation can not be found OUTSIDE of the church? Or is this just one of many ways to know, love, and serve God?

We are then asked to follow one of God's Great commandments which is pulled directly from the Bible from Luke 10:27: "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind, and with your whole strength; you shall love your neighbor as yourself." But again, the follow up to this biblical commandment leads us to believe that the Church somehow needs to be inserted into this in order to actually live out this commandment. They say that in order to "love God, our neighbor, and ourselves, we must keep the commandments of God and of the Church, and perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy." If that was the way to love God, how come the Bible didn't add that part about keeping the church's commandments? Who gave such power to the church?

I can't help but immediately wonder where the foundation of these beliefs came from and why Catholics believe that they have it right if it's not written in the Bible. Did some Prophet such as Joseph Smith tell them so? While some of their beliefs are pulled directly from the Bible, others are an interpretation of what Jesus Christ was trying to say when giving us these commandments and somehow these interpretations incorporate the NECESSITY of the Catholic Church in obtaining God's love. I can only assume then that a Catholic had to have been this great interpreter. Even in the Apostles Creed, the Catholic church is noted. What makes them so special? Why are they chosen?

Funny that this week God chose Catholic church as my next one to study. Here I am wondering if every religion can have it right....and it appears that the message from the Catholics is there is only one way to get to heaven....and it involves tithing, going to Sunday mass, fasting and receiving Holy Communion. Being "right" involves being a Catholic.

But again, maybe Catholics believe that the church can somehow multiply the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and if its Truth for them, who knows if Christ is telling them one thing and me another? I know my stance here is sounding incredibly politically correct--that we're all right and know one will be judged for their beliefs. I can hear my dads voice in my head, "but Jessica, God is Just. We are not to judge, but He is. Non-believers will be judged and their name will not be written in the Book of Life." But maybe the desire to know God and work fervently to be more like Him is enough to get our names on that sacred list.

What it really all comes down to is: the more I learn, the less I know. Another statement I heard my father make just before he decided to look for answers outside of Christianity.



Saturday, January 16, 2010

Church #2: PART TWO: Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Okay, so we've established that Mormons really want to share their message. And as noted in my post a few days ago, they're the 4 largest church based on memberships in the United States so they're certainly meeting their quota. However, I am a bit turned off by their sales strategy. Being in sales myself, I can appreciate the need to close a deal. I understand the thrill of the chase and the sense of pride that comes with "getting a new client" but we're not moving a bunch of used cars here. This is God we're talking about. And our faith is not something that we should be muscled into.

I was getting hit with a hard sale while sitting in the LDS church, this much I knew. As if the "sales manager" was watching from the boiling room behind the tinted glass making sure that every sales rep met each of my objections with a carefully orchestrated answer. I'm not saying the entire congregation was working off commission. Tom believed his message, I could see his passion for the church's principles. However, I encountered a fair share of inauthentic church members who slapped a fake smile on their face just long enough to introduce themselves to the new visitor and keep up the facade. It just felt like they were going through the motions because "that's what good Mormons do" instead of sharing the experience with one another because they were so overjoyed by the spirit of God.

I consider myself a warm, authentic person. I think I have an innate ability to connect with people. I also think my BS radar works pretty darn well. And I felt like I was being sold. Even when the missionaries walked me to my car, it wasn't as if they did so because they just wanted more time to share God's message with me, but instead, I suspected I was the target of an ornate new business pitch. While opening my car door, they went straight into the hard closing questions as they opened their calendars and asked, "when are you available to talk again?" I knew that question all too well. I was taught it in every sales training I'd ever been to..... "So, How have you liked what I've shown you today Mrs. X, and when can I follow up with you again?"

Then they launched into another great close..."will your husband be available then?" This way, the sales rep can have both decision makers in the same room so they can shorten the sales cycle. Most good salesman know that if the wife or husband isn't part of the buying process, they will talk their partner out of spending the money, and if the question isn't asked and the spouse talks their husband and wife out of the purchase, the responsibility falls directly on the sales rep.

I know it sounds like I'm really giving the Mormons a hard time, and you know what, I guess I am. But it was all too predictable. I could have written the pitch myself. I'm not suggesting the church members were all out to make a deal. I watched many of them walk up to the podium and speak about the Lord with tears in their eyes as they shared how Jesus Christ had changed their lives. The sermons and the message were ON POINT. They were inspiring, direct, and incredibly sincere. The Sunday school lesson was passionate and profound and the speaker energized the room while asking thought provoking questions about the Bible that really made us question our understanding of the Bible.

As I entered the room where the Relief Society was being held, a question was written on the chalk board. It was almost as if God wrote it out Himself just for me. It read: "What would you do without God?" I had been asked to consider this very same question just 2 days before while I prayed for my sister. It resonated with me personally. I wholeheartedly believe this is the way God speaks to us. And because He was speaking to me through these people, I know He was present in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Sunday. Which made me wonder.....If this really is God talking, and this message comes from a place of Love.....What's with all the incredibly pushy salesman?

God, if experienced authentically, has a pretty great product! Salvation doesn't need a lot of marketing. I think eternal bliss is a great selling point and anyone took the time to get out of bed, get all dressed up and drive to church to hear His message is already displaying some pretty major buying signs. So why do the loyal members use the same sales techniques as the reps in the Life Insurance industry? The Love of God doesn't require a sales team. So I wonder why the church finds it necessary?

In my opinion, their recruitment strategy is flawed. However, I've also found that hard sales is not for me. I'd rather establish a relationship with my prospects by being honest and forthright and hope they see the benefits of my product or service enough to purchase it. I hold the belief that if you believe in what you're selling, people will be attracted to you just by default. But ya know what? The hard sale does work because Mormons have an incredible following and there are BILLIONS upon Billions of dollars in the Life insurance industry. They must be doing something right.

Before I went to church, I promised myself that I would have an open mind and an open heart. I asked God ahead of time to show me through this experience whether He wanted me to find the story of Joseph Smith true. I asked Him to show me the Truth and I am confident that He has.

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is wrong FOR ME. And just as the Mormons instructed me to do, I went home on Sunday night, closed my eyes, clasped my hands and allowed the darkness and silence of my mind to consume me. I then humbly asked God to show me the way. I said, "Dear God, please show me the Truth. Should I follow the Mormon religion and move forward with it's teachings?" God didn't hesitate. Not for a moment. God told me loud and clear that this religion and it's practices are not for me. That I WILL NOT and SHOULD NOT become a Mormon because it was not right for me. So that was that. Was I now to believe that Mormons are "wrong" because God had told me to not believe in the Book of Mormon, their Doctrine or the story of their Prophet?

This whole experience led me to an interesting question. It has sparked a sincere curiosity within me.......

Could God be telling me and the Mormons two radically different things? I once asked my father a very similar question, I said....."Dad, could all the religions be right?" His answer at the time never settled right with me, and it still doesn't today. He said, "Jessica, the road to heaven is very narrow. There can only be one Truth. God is not a liar, therefore He couldn't be telling several different people several different things that all conflict with one another. That wouldn't make him honest. And God is perfect and honest. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. No one gets to the Father unless it is through the Son, so therefore, if it doesn't line up with the Bible, it can not be Truth." I always suspected their was more to it than that. That God's plan for us was not so simple. That there may have been something bigger there and we, as individuals, were just a bit too small to see the entire picture and how the puzzle all fit together.

My dad is no longer alive today. Interesting enough, he rejected this school of thought years after he studied the Bible and came to an entirely different conclusion all together about God and Truth and wasn't so convinced that there was only one way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Or whether there was a Heaven at all actually.

I had to wonder when a new Mormon attended the LDS church for the first time and they went home that night, clasped their hands, closed their eyes and asked God with an open heart and mind to show them the way, truth, and light...could God's reply have been"Follow down the Mormon path. This is truth." And then could that same God turn to another person like myself and advise me not to all the while still being an honest God?

My heart just doesn't allow me to believe that this massive group that claims to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for their sins can all be "wrong". Because my faith allows me to believe that God never steers us in the wrong direction. Ever. And that all we have to do is ask for the Lord to show us the way and He will. So how did he steer me and Tom in two entirely different directions while still being a 100% genuine, truthful, and just?

There just has to be more to it than the traditional biblical belief that there is only one Truth and those who believe it get the dangling carrot and those who don't get Nothing and fall short of the glory of this loving God.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Church #2: PART ONE: Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

There is so much I want to say about my experience visiting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 2500 Pump Road, that I don't even know where to start. I think for the sake of my sanity, I'm going to have to break this up into 2 different posts. One dedicated to some basics, like a Mormon 101 and another related to my own spiritual perspective, my own opinions, and an overview of what I took away. The entire experience was fascinating, educational, inspiring, and incredibly intense.

Before the front doors had a chance to close behind me, I was welcomed with the sacrament which was not made of the wine or grape juice I was normally accustom to, but instead, a small sip of water in a tiny plastic cup. The service started at 12:30pm on Sunday. When I opened the door to the area where the congregation sat, it was noisy, a bit messy, and nothing like I had imagined. The inside resembled an auditorium, not a temple. Half the congregation sat on a full sized basketball court which opened up into a meeting area which had a few rows of pews, and some cheap chairs that sat upon what appeared to be a grey gymnasium carpet. The congregation was buzzing. While people continually got up to speak at the podium, children screamed, couples talked to one another, others doodled in their books, and it seemed few listened to what the current speaker was saying. At times, I couldn't make out the words based on the fact that so many people were carrying on conversations during the sermons.

I was lucky enough to grab a seat next to an incredibly welcoming and informative man named Tom who quickly tried to acclimate me to my unfamiliar surroundings. He explained that everyone gathered so late in the day because , the congregation shares its space with 2 other churchs and they had agreed to rotate times that they were able to hold their service. In 2009, the congregation met at 9am but this year they were given the 12:30 pm timeslot. He had also explained why there seemed to be no obvious preacher, or deacon or church leader. The sacrament portion of the service was led by different members of the church who were "called" to talk on behalf of the church. They changed roles yearly but were chosen by God to occupy whatever role He saw fit. Some taught the 14 year olds, others taught the women's bible school, and some had roles such as speaker on Sunday, or greeter to the vistors, missionaries which are referred to as Elders, etc. Most everyone had some type of job. Tom had just been relieved from teaching the 3rd graders. A job he enjoyed. He told me that no one gets paid for these jobs either. I have a sneaky suspicion that Tom was proud to give me that bit of information. Understandbly so since it displays a selfless level of service you don't see often. At the very least most heads of church receive some level of compensation. Not here. All money from tithing goes directly into the church, 100%. Tom also explained that members were expected to sign in during service. Much like when a teacher passes around a role in class to make sure everyone is there.

Tom told me that Mormons have 3 different types of service every Sunday and everyone is expected to attend all 3. First, the sacrament which is like a regular church service, then Sunday school where everyone breaks up by age, and next Relief Society which was for the woman, and Priesthood which was for the men. At that time, children I believe also gathered together for study in what is called Primary. He also gave me a brief rundown of their core beliefs. He said Mormons believed in the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon. There were 15 apostles that lead the entire institution. A President and 2 counselors. The 3 together are called the First Presidency. The 12 left over are called the Quorum. They head the entire LDS church. Then, there was a local head of a church called a Bishop, but he wasn't around or at least I wasn't introduced to him. Not sure where the Bishop was now that I think of it? But I did have the opportunity to briefly meet the President of the stake. He sat behind me and my new friend Tom as he explained all the intricacies that make up this church. One of which was the organizational structure of the church and a brief description of the origins of it all. So, locally there is a Bishop (which I never saw). His adminstrative parish is called a ward. A group of wards form a stake. And the Stake word came from the Old Testiment and is meant to represent a stake that holds up a tent. And the President holds up the church like a stake holds up a tent. Again, not sure where the Bishop fits in here, so I'll have to look into that. Honestly, I felt like this was a whole lot of information to let seep in over the course of Tom and I's 20 minute conversation but since I knew the week was ending soon and my time with the LDS church was limited, I was willing to take all I could get. I'm not sure as a regular visitor that I wouldn't be intimated by so much information in such a short period of time.

Once the first service was done, I remained seated beside Tom during the more advanced study of Sunday school which took place for me in the same location. Once that hour was up, I was warmly greeted by a woman named Susie who made sure I was accompanied to Relief Society by a friendly face. I was introduced to so many people and everyone went out of their way to get to know me. It was clear they really wanted me to feel welcome and belong. It comes as no surprise to most people who have experienced door to door solicitaton by a Mormon that they want nothing more than people to join their cause. I was invited to study with them on Wednesdays for something called Institution to learn about Mormonism, invited to attend their book club, invited back next week to attend all 3 services again, invited to their house to just chat about becoming a Mormon, invited to another house along with my husband who also could learn more about Mormonism, invited to stay after church to discuss Mormonism, accompanied to my car by missionaries to talk about Mormonism, and then in a very direct way, invited to give my address to these 19-year-old missionaries so they could invite themselves to my home to talk to me and my husband about becoming a Mormon. I think I'll stop here and invite you all back to read my next post which will be about Mormonism.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Mormon Community

The premier of Big Love Season 3 , an HBO series based on Hollywood's depiction of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is airing tomorrow night. Coincidentally, I have chosen this church, located on Pump Road in the West End of Richmond as my second one to attend. I must admit, the only perspective I've ever had of the Mormon community has been through this HBO hit series. I can only imagine that this representation of Mormons is not welcomed by the Church.

While doing some research on the Latter Day Saints website (www.lds.org) a commentator described some members reaction to the show as: "...members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding." While the website states that the church does not condemn individual members for boycotting Time Warner, the production company responsible for Big Love, the LDS institution does not encourage boycotts as it is believed to generate the type of controversy that would just give the show higher ratings which would continue to misrepresent it's people in a wildly inaccurate way.

The show is riddled with stereotypes of the Mormon people. It depicts them as self-righteous, polygamists who lie, cheat, steal and even kill all in the name of God. Without even attending the Sunday service yet, I have a sneaky suspicion that this image couldn't be further from the truth. The message coming from the mouth of the Mormon people on www.mormon.org is this: "God is your Father in Heaven. He knows you personally. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and your Savior. His life and teachings are the way to peace and happiness." Doesn't sound so unfamiliar and self-righteous to me. It actually sounds right in line with what most Christians core fundamental beliefs are.

While the beliefs that the LDS church holds are not so unfamiliar, the way the church was founded is certainly unique. I'll give you the short version as I understand it.

In September of 1823, a Prophet named Joseph Smith had an angel visit him name Moroni. This angel told Joseph to go to a hill in New York and in 4 years, dig up these metal scrolls that have information about Jesus Christ as it relates to the ancient inhabitants of the American continent. He instructed Joseph to translate these words into the English language and when the time was "right" tell people what they said. Joseph Smith claimed that these records were another testament of Christ in addition to the Holy Bible. The Book of Mormon is not meant to compete with the Bible, but instead be another source of God's Word about the divinity of Jesus Christ. It was finally published in 1830 and it has now been read by millions. Actually, according to the National Council of Churches, Mormons are the 4th largest denomination in the US based on memberships. http://www.ncccusa.org/news/080215yearbook1.html

When I first read the story a week ago about Joseph Smith, the tablets, and his visit from an angel surrounded by a bright white light, I must admit, it sounded like hocus pocus. In an attempt to be open-minded, I analyzed why I instantly passed judgment on these Christians.

I had always been taught that anything that claims to be the Word of God, outside of the 66 books of the Traditional Protestent Bible, is not rooted in Truth, but instead, the work of the devil. An attempt to deceive Christians into believing lies in an attempt to move them further away from God.

While part of me thinks all too often many churches have used this fear to their advantage as a manipulation tactic, I do cautiously proceed when new ideas about spirituality conflict with the Bible. Maybe my childhood church succeeded by instilling that fear, but I know the awesome power of the Holy Bible, so of course if something were to conflict with it, I'd wonder if it was indeed the truth.

However, the more I read about the Mormon religion, the more open minded I become, the better I understand it, and the more it makes sense to me. Why is it so insane to think that Joseph Smith was a prophet? There are several Prophets in biblical times, why would God just stop talking to us? I mean, I myself just claimed to hear God's voice a few days ago! Joseph Smith could have been a Prophet. That's not so hard for me to believe. And maybe God did command him to share more of His story. Who knows? God just commanded me to write this blog!

I still have some investigating about the foundation of this church before I take it in as "gospel". For instance, where are these tablets now? Did anyone else see them? I read that there were about 10 witnesses who vouched for them, but is there any explanation as to why the tables aren't available for other people to see? But I guess that's what faith is, believing in something you can't see, touch, or feel. I do continue to wonder about the peculiarity of the story since it is so different than anything I have ever understood. That's not to say it's Wrong--I mean, that'd be awfully self-righteous of me to think because I hadn't heard of something like this that it must not be true, but I do have more questions. For instance, why are Mormons associated with polygamy? And of course, most importantly, I'd like to read the Book of Mormon and see what it says and if there is anything in my heart that is telling me that this is not the Word of God.

Finally, I have already developed an immense amount of respect for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. When asked WHY we should accept this story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormons as truth, their reply is the same, "Ask God to show you whether these prophecies belong to Him. If you ask in Jesus name, He will reveal the Truth to you, if He says that it is not His words, then do not believe."

Unlike many God-fearing Christians, I know that my God would never lead me into temptation when I have asked with an open heart to know and understand Him. He just doesn't work that way. He would never allow the strength of some "devil" to be greater than His desire for me to Love and experience Him. So I ask God to show me the Truth about the Book of Mormon. I will learn about this new faith without caution. I will not judge it. I will not fear it. I will trust and allow the Spirit of God to show me the Truth. I am confident after learning more about them, I will have my answer.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A message from God

Last night, at around 11pm I received a phone call from my mother. She told me that my sister, who was carrying 2 babies in her beautiful belly, was going into labor. Unfortunately, my sister is only 24 weeks along which makes this horrible news. I sobbed uncontrollably as my brain raced through all the awful possibilities: months of bedrest if they even managed to stop the contractions, her 2 angels being born at 1.5 lbs and having severe physical and mental disabilities, months of hospitalization, or even worse.... death. The hopelessness of it all consumed me. Then, in an instant, my fearful thoughts disappeared. An inner stillness and peace overwhelmed me.

As I laid in bed with silent tears streaming down my cheeks, God's voice revealed itself to me. His voice was so loud and familiar. He said, "Pay attention to the pain you feel. Pay attention to the fear you have. Experience your sadness. But remember.... I am with you." For a brief moment with all my inner chaos, I was in what I think the Unity church might call, "complete alignment with the Holy Spirit"

Soon after, God asked me a question and he commanded me to look inside my heart for an honest answer. God said, "I offer you comfort but what if I wasn't here with you to give you this comfort? What if on a night like tonight, you lay here crying, and I was nowhere to be found?" Without hesitation, I began to sob again. Even the loving embrace of my husband couldn't comfort me. But this time, these tears were not for my sister. Not for her children. But for the people of the world who go through life and experience these great times of sadness, and pain and loss and don't have God to comfort them. These people... they have no hope. They remain in a constant state of fear. They only experience a brief temporary happiness, and don't understand what true inner Joy is. They do not understand that there is a greater purpose for their lives and when dreadful things happen, they have no peace in knowing that they are not alone or that there is a lesson greater than their understanding that is to be learned.

I cried uncontrollably for these hopeless people. Then, God spoke again. He said, "I have showed you this so that through Me, you can help save these people from hopelessness." And once again, an inner stillness emerged. The silence of my mind returned and at that moment, I felt both sadness and joy. Pain for my sister and for her husband but Peace with God. I am certain, that what I experienced was a conversation with the living God. I wouldn't call this experience super natural. It wasn't exactly profound. I don't claim to be special or unique. I believe God talks to all of us this way if we only allow His message to be heard. It is in his will that I share the great news about an all loving God that does exist and does offer peace, hope, and love. Even in the face of terrible sadness.

It is my sincere intention that this blog serve that purpose. I hope people read it. I hope His will be done through it. If not through this blog, then I will work to find out how God does want me to work toward this goal and tell people about the Love and peace that only He can offer. I recognize that if I am able to help "plant seeds" and help people "grow in Spirit" that it is not through my own strength, but I give all glory and power to God. I ask that God use me only as a vessel to spread His message.

I hope whatever church people attend, whether they pray or meditate, whether they practice on Sunday, or Saturday, or whether they sing Michael Jackson songs during service, or whether they speak in tongues, or read the book of Mormon or Thomas or Revelation compulsively that they get the opportunity to experience hope and peace because of their relationship with God. Because this world is SO difficult and human strength is not enough. Life is hard. Without God, it is impossible.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Embrace Change

Continuing with the lessons from Sunday's sermon about embracing change, I've given a lot of thought to what qualities I would like to see in other people so I can work on those things within myself in an effort to change the world for the better and "be the change" I want to see.

What I've discovered is that I'd like to see more confident people. People who believe in themselves and don't feel the need to put themselves down all the time. Like, "look how big my butt looks, or my hair looks awful, I can't even carry a tune...." I find it interesting that if a person walks into a room and says, "Man, my calfs are huge!" it's considered totally acceptable. If the same woman walks in and says, "wow, I have a gorgeous face" most people are immediately turned off. Well, I'd like to see that CHANGE.

I want to see people who look me dead in the eye and say, "wow! I feel great today! I've given to my favorite charity this morning, ran 5 miles and this organic banana is AWESOME! I think a promotion is in my future, I just LOVE my job!" I want to see people who love themselves wholeheartedly. People who shower themselves with the same compliments they'd give their most cherished loved one.

So, to bring about this drastic change, I've decided to get my very soft body back to the gym.......*ahem* I mean, I've decided to get my beautiful, wonderful, God given physical temple called my body back into motion by taking positive steps to gain health and vitality! I am doing this because I am confident and strong! I love myself SO MUCH that I want to be the best I can be.

I love myself! I am beautiful! I am strong! I am capable! I am loving! I am kind! I am generous! I am thoughtful! I am Good....because I am part of God. What a wonderful message! What a fabulous reality!!!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Church #1: Unity Church of Richmond

You must be the change you want to see in the world.
-Mahatma Gandhi Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)

I think this quote sums up the sermon from Unity of Richmond during the 9am meditative service this past Sunday. The lesson was clear: Embrace change within yourself to allow change to manifest itself within other people. Do this because we are One and we are all a part of God. So basically, if we want others to be more kind to us: Our responsibility is to exemplify kindness. Love one another. Apply the Golden Rule. A very time appropriate sermon to start off the New Year where everyone has a resolution to change something.

Unity of Richmond is located in the fan next to the Carillon at 800 Blanton Ave. It is a humble church with what seemed like a small, devoted congregation. I counted a total of 28 people during the 9am meditative service. Another 11am sermon followed which was referred to in the bulletin as the "Traditional Service." However, I'm not so sure there is much, if anything, Traditional about this crowd.

They are an eclectic mix of people to say the least. If you are looking for a church that houses all white, slightly older families with 2.5 children that live in the West End of Richmond and show up at 10:45am on the dot, men wearing ties and women wearing pantyhose and past the knee skirts....look elsewhere. Here, at Unity, we are lesbians, young adults, seniors, white people, Asian people, people who wear sweatpants and flip-flops with socks to church and people who wear their Sunday best... oversized hat and all.

I did notice that there were no children at the congregation, but I'm sure they are encouraged to attend. Everyone is. This is not a church that casts stones based on religious orientation, sexual orientation, race etc. This church is a friend to ALL. It even says so in the cover of their musical books that sit in the backside of the pews. They pride themselves on being friends to EVERYONE. Accepting of ALL. If it is their goal to practice what they preach, and be the change they want to see: These people want to be accepted.

Interesting enough, I had mentioned to a number of my friends that I attended Unity on Sunday morning. The response I received was all the same. "The Unity religion is a little out there, they accept all religions, I think that's kinda weird."

I find this fascinating "Weird" is the word used to describe a group of people that think there is One God and everyone has their own path to experiencing Him. It's not weird to think that there is only Jesus Christ and that EVERYONE else is wrong. It's not weird for Catholics to believe in the sacrament. Or Seventh day Adventist to believe you HAVE to go to church on Saturday or you're not the chosen people. I think in a world where we live for labels, this should come as no surprise that a group of people who are accepting of EVERYONE is labeled as "weird."

We spend our lives working so hard to obtain those labels. We are housewives, we are attorneys, we are black, old, fat, educated and middle-class. We are SOMETHING, otherwise we must be NOTHING. And it's "weird" to think that none of this really matters to God. It's not only weird, it's down right frightening! Because then we have to ask ourselves, what the heck are we doing this all for? I think what the people of Unity of Richmond would tell someone with this inner dialogue is that this need to be something is your EGO talking....and it might be time to CHANGE what we tell ourselves. Like the affirmation we read allowed yesterday in church, "our thoughts are our prayers." So it's time to look at what we are telling ourselves about who we are because if God is love, then this love is not conditional based on our meaningless man-made labels we impose on ourselves and everyone else.

As I sat in the middle pew sipping my morning coffee, I silently applauded the unique perspective that the Unity church offered me. I thought bravo for holding a service that allows for 15 minutes of silent meditation. For 15 minutes of my week I was able to sit in total silence, with nothing but me and 27 other weirdos experiencing the love of God and the peace that lies DEEP within myself. No laundry to do, no websites to sell, no blog to write. After our meditation, we were blessed with the opportunity to listen to one of the most talented soloist sing Michael Jackson's "we are the world." Her voice was nothing short of angelic. Everyone in the church was bopping their heads. I had a sneaky suspicion that like me, most everyone wanted to stand up and really break it down to China town but they managed to somehow refrain. It was hard not to get up and dance. She brought an energy into this room that was almost indescribable. This girl could sing! You could feel our spirits being lifted. Love radiated off of each person as she belted out the lyrics. There was no denying it, God was present in this room of believers.

After the service, I had several people come and introduce themselves to me, one being the Reverend himself: Richard Bunch. Every person I encountered was warm, kind, and sincerely grateful for my visit. I even received a small gift as a newcomer. A coffee mug resembling a potting plant that read, "Grow in Spirit." For a brief moment I felt sadness that I wasn't going to be able to attend Unity of Richmond again next Sunday, but somewhere in my heart I was quickly reassured that God would reveal himself to me every time I searched for Him.

I would highly recommend checking out Unity of Richmond if you're looking for a community of non-judgmental, progressive Christians who appreciate the wisdom that comes along with accepting and becoming truly understanding of other faiths. This group encourages people to love one another as their God loves them - unconditionally, wholeheartedly, and just as they are.