tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738145.post110950920754673117..comments2023-03-03T03:22:43.330-05:00Comments on THE REBELLION OF THOUGHT BLOG: My Next ChurchKent C. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03654892681774726976noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738145.post-48603453437377991762010-08-15T03:52:11.759-04:002010-08-15T03:52:11.759-04:00I hope I get a reply to my comment even though thi...I hope I get a reply to my comment even though this post is old. I watched the tail end of your documentary last night on Shine TV here in NZ and despite my baby unwilling to sleep, my attention was captivated. <br /><br />For a long time - at least 4 years - I have felt lost and alone in feeling frustrated with Church Culture (western anyway) including the structure, format, programmes, focus and so on. Like you, I cannot support Building Funds or even meeting together in a very ugly building that shuts us away from the rest of the world. I feel that we have lost our relevance in our local communities. I feel that we have lost our focus and priority in terms of the Scripture you have mentioned about the Greatest Commandment, and the "second which is like it."<br /><br />I want to say that in addition to being irrelevant and almost uncaring to the world, community and needs around us - we have perhaps equally been numb to the needs of those in our church. I don't believe that we experience true fellowship in many cases - but in superficial acquaintances. I feel that the programmes and structure often create a barrier to real fellowship. I have such a strong desire for church to be done a different way. To be radically different so that it is real, relevant and genuine - and fulfilling the call God has given us instead of getting totally distracted with other less important things - bit like the Martha and Mary situation.<br /><br />It was incredible to hear others from half way around the world, articulating how I felt. Despite my discouragement, I have persevered with my local church out of a need for fellowship of some kind, and with no alternative.<br /><br />I do want to walk over that bridge with you and be part of creating a new church - but where and how do we start and who else out there is being called to do this?New Zealand Nannies Internationalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17611076044908813126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738145.post-1165890362321349112006-12-11T21:26:00.000-05:002006-12-11T21:26:00.000-05:00Beautiful article that captures the excitement of ...Beautiful article that captures the excitement of being the church without forgetting the pain, the struggle, the mission that is our calling to serve our Lord and our neighbors.simplegestureshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12620812369243898926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738145.post-1114801892249226292005-04-29T15:11:00.000-04:002005-04-29T15:11:00.000-04:00An excellent statement. I recently joined a disci...An excellent statement. I recently joined a discipleship group and am coming to much the same understanding as many of your points about church and about mission. I am thinking about many of the same issues.<BR/><BR/>A few days ago I stumbled across the phrase Liberation Theology, and have come to wonder what that means, and the word "praxis", and wonder how that fits into whaere I am and what I am doing.<BR/><BR/>In a matter of months I have gone from being settled and discontent in my faith life, to unsettled but assured.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for sharing.Bluemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05523852919472155035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738145.post-1109609032038732982005-02-28T11:43:00.000-05:002005-02-28T11:43:00.000-05:00I often wonder what faith looked like for the disc...I often wonder what faith looked like for the disciples... was it filled up with all the details of "doing church" or were they too busy "being the church"? I lean toward the later.Kent C. Williamsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03654892681774726976noreply@blogger.com