How was church today?

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Mendalla said:
How was your service today?
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4 of my non-charismatic friends wanted to attend a Thursday night extremist Pentecostal service--not my cup of tea, but I felt obligated to attend to later explain my reaction to such services. In the meeting, one lady's eruption of loud "holy laughter" was very sincere, but totally disruptive for me and my visiting friends. Also, the lady who came to the mike claiming a special "word from the Lord" tried in vain to establish that effective faith is "the Lord's faith," not "your faith," a message that certainly did not come " from the Lord!"
Mendalla said:
Anything interesting or special?
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Yeah, the leader of this group hd entered a local furniture store to ask my friend Gary (a non-Charismatic Nazarene) to serve as "a catcher" for those who fall straight backwards "slain in the Spirit" after the female evangelist laid hands on them. That request seemed as strange to Gary as it would to any of you here. Gary hoped that his unchurched co-workers would barely notice, but at lunch this young female employee said to Gary,"Uh, so in your church people fall down, huh?" Gary was so embarrassed, but I laughed my head off. To my dismay 3 non-Charismatic Methodist served as "catchers" and, believe me, their role was necessary during the healing service of laying on hands. It was as if the evangelist electricuted those being blessed as they fell backwards! To my dismay, all 3 Methodists loved the experience, later explaining that they sensed who was authentically overpowered by the Spirit and who was merely following expectations.
Mendalla said:
Did the topic or message or readings speak to you for some reason?
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She got my attention when she claimed to have recently raised the dead!
Mendalla said:
And whatever else about your service you think we might find interesting.
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One of the recruited "catchers" Dave was singled out by he evangelist for prayer. She told him, "I sense that you have heart problems and a pinched nerve in your neck." Dave gasped at this clairvoyant accuracy. She then laid hands on him to heal him. Now Dave is a close friend whom I have known for many years. He is a member of our weekly prayer group. Dave often complained of the nightly headaches caused by his pinched nerve in his neck. But amazingly, at the next prayer meeting he announced that he was healed and that healing has remained permanent! So those Methodist "catchers" want to attend her next meeting in a nearby city to see more miracles. I was basically there to protect them from offense, but apparently I was the only one offended by the meetings excesses. Food for thought and not just your boring typical worship service! Perhaps a little wildfire is better than no fire at all!
 
Mystic said:
One of the recruited "catchers" Dave was singled out by he evangelist for prayer. She told him, "I sense that you have heart problems and a pinched nerve in your neck." Dave gasped at this clairvoyant accuracy. She then laid hands on him to heal him. Now Dave is a close friend whom I have known for many years. He is a member of our weekly prayer group. Dave often complained of the nightly headaches caused by his pinched nerve in his neck. But amazingly, at the next prayer meeting he announced that he was healed and that healing has remained permanent! So those Methodist "catchers" want to attend her next meeting in a nearby city to see more miracles. I was basically there to protect them from offense, but apparently I was the only one offended by the meetings excesses. Food for thought and not just your boring typical worship service! Perhaps a little wildfire is better than no fire at all!
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I think you already told this story in a slightly different version a couple years back.
 
Mrs.Anteater said:
I think you already told this story in a slightly different version a couple years back.
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Nope! The healing just happened a week ago Thursday. What you recall is another healing Dave experienced a few years ago in the cafe across the street from where I live. He had a blood clot from his ankle to his groin area and was in great pain. Doctors warned him not to go out much, lest he clot break up and go to his heart, but Dave decided to take the risk of having breakfast at that cafe. Mark Smith, a charismatically gifted man, walked in, saw, Dave, and felt led to approach him and ask, "Do you have a serious physical condition that needs prayer?" Dave felt self-conscious, didn't know Mark, and didn't want to be made a spectacle, but felt obliged to tell the truth. Mark then asked Dave if he'd like prayer for his blood clot and again Dave didn't want to refuse prayer; so he said yes, hoping Mark would prayer quietly. But Mark prayed loudly, creating quite a spectacle to the surrounding customers. But Dave was instantly healed and the pain was gone. The miracle was subsequently confirmed by various medical tests.

We eventually tracked Mark down and got to know him better. He is the next door neighbor of Rick, another member of our weekly prayer group, a group that has witnessed many answers to prayer on a rather regular basis, obviously the reason we have been meeting weekly for many years. My favorite was a young agnostic's healing of a malignant brain tumor, that prompted him to convert and share his healing testimony in church. His was one of 2 brain tumors healed within a period of about a month. So I understand why such testimonies might blur together in your memory, if your church lacks regular manifestations of God's healing power.
 
If you would like gorgeous, here is the UCC's 96th anniversary service, co-ordinated by our beloved Richard Bott, and introduced by my own personal superhero, the Rev Dr Susan E:
 
How was church today?

I felt ill listening to section of the sermon.
I am really struggling with the messages.

struggling
 
Struggling ... the work of dealing with life as real as it can be with all the Lions of Power!

Those in the hierarchy cannot see what's below the horizon of the occipital ... Item 5 of the attributes of mystics!
 
Attended the Knox United online service yesterday. A thoughtful sermon by Rev. Dr. Glatz on topic of "Peace, be still." Also, a fine performance by the Knox Bell Ringers.
 
Yesterday was my second last service. We had communion for only the in person service. It was the first service for Amanda and Sheldon Alley in a live service at DRCC. It gave them a chance to talk face to face with a few of our members. My wife likes my message in the online service. I think my live message was a bit better. Movers came today so we are unpacking and settling in to our new home 3 hours from Deep River. Next Sunday is my last service before retiring again. The online service was recorded last Sunday. The service examines the mystery of faith including the problem that we cannot clearly define or identify it but we can see the difference but sometimes makes.
 
Imagine mystery of faith and why people are institutionalized as the item unseen and intangible keeps rolling on ... initiating alien changes!

Psychosomatic disorder may be part of the disturbance in an excessively restricted soul ... and yet the psyche is exceptionally alien ...

Albeit some claim in an emotional outburst to know the whole thing ... it remains dark ... like understanding of a vast sea of words ...

Could this generate a mortal state as metaphorically limited? Entanglement ensues ...
 
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Well. The service itself went as well as could be expected.

Arriving at the Church at 7:20 am I became immediately aware that my new security code was being rejected by our alarm system. Don't panic, try again. Don't panic, slow down, try again. Okay, that is weird, lets do this again slower. Don't panic. There is a solution you just have to find it in three seconds or, yup, there goes the alarm.

Not to worry I have the custodian's number right here in my phone. I'll just let myself into my office and wait to see if the alarm company calls before I can get ahold of our custodian. Well, the custodian must be around the bay because his phone is out of reach by the system. Alarm company calls, I identify myself, they want the password, nobody has given it to me, they ask me who the custodian is and I explain that I have been trying unsuccessfully to make contact. They assure me that they have several numbers to call and they will make sure somebody comes down soon.

No, they cannot silence the alarm but not to worry, it will time out in 5 minutes or so I just have to make sure I don't trip any interior motion sensors once that happens or the alarms will sound again. No motion sensors in my office.

The alarm stops sounding, I hear a door open and somebody make their way to the alarm panel. I hear them type in a code and I hear the alarm start sounding again. Now there are two of us perplexed wondering why the alarm system is not accepting our codes.

My rescuer realizes he input the old code because he had not been informed of the switch to personal codes. His personal code deactivates the system we have a laugh and go back home to get ready for the day.

With the alarm silenced, I go back to see if I can figure out why my personal code isn't working. I reason to myself that if my personal code can't disarm then it cannot rearm. This is proven true when I fail to reactivate the system with my personal code. Is the problem due to lousy handwriting on my part? Try to make a correction hit upon a legitimate solution on my second try.

This morning I checked with the Secretary who has a master list of codes. On her list is my personal code as I requested it.

The personal code immediately below mine ends with the digit I replaced thinking it was the most likely culprit if my handwriting is to blame.

So, transcription error not poor hand-writing on my part and, fortuitously because otherwise I never would have found a code that let me into the building.

Our organist also failed to warn me about an iffy hymn in a timely manner so I could consider a change. And another one we both felt secure about had an irregular tune that completely fouled up the congregation.

All in all, not a particularly polished morning. It probably bugs me more than it does others.
 
Church was a weird approach about prophets with fore sight (prescience, or omniscience) being able to look into mysteries ... a miracle?

Then the tales about prophets being rejected ... like the light of Christ being denied in his own village ... then one ponders the concept of familiarity breeding contempt ... as if many folk didn't wish to know as it would be toxic to their desires! Metaphors seem to be like that and leading those who reject mental awareness into dark zones ... really mysterious!

If life is really a dream for some is it a nightmare to those that go at it from the other side? That's the lo' down on the fall out ... a kind of heavenly dust if you are into cosmological parallels! When so bent they could be hyperbolic ... forming waves and diffuse light as if angels were all a flutter over purple eun ocq horns ...
 
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Just watched the online service for today for Deep River Community Church. Sheldon Alley's message impressed me. I also enjoyed Evan's limerick summarizing the Ephesians reading. Here is a link to the service: The service for July 18 explores one household but many views. Division is all around us but we must strive to be united. We are much more alike than different.
 
Watched the service for tomorrow yesterday. Amanda tackled Psalm 111 about gratitude and praise. The service included one of my favourite hymns, Teach Me God to Wonder.
 
I just finished watching the service for Deep River Community Church. Amanda superbly connected the story of James and John to our needs for reassurance at times. it was a surprising and helpful twist on how to read the story. Here is the link to the service:
 
jimkenney12 said:
I just finished watching the service for Deep River Community Church. Amanda superbly connected the story of James and John to our needs for reassurance at times. it was a surprising and helpful twist on how to read the story. Here is the link to the service:
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If J' aimes is as you like it ... and John is a common man ... do only the entitled hate the common Eire? Sometime recognized as shared psyche ... the alternate would not pray for such bifurcation as autonomy is prized by those trying to pile it up separate from the populace ... like private wealth vs commonwealth ... a vast divide forming abyss!

The myth is distinctly diversified ... many layered thing! Like can a instituted man get to the bottom of many tiers?

Attachments and baggage may inhibit travel and wobble ... look what it does to stray planets!

There may be no end tuit!
 
We had a service featuring the social need for a guaranteed livable income. Church resources were good - we had clips from @RichardBott and the Very Rev Dr Marion Pardy and the Very Rev Jordan Cantwell. Nice service. It's nice to be back in the sanctuary, properly masked distanced and vaccinated. Our temporary pianist is very talented, coaxing some lovely jazzy notes from our 120 year old Heintzmann grand, and a newer member (moved here from Toronto some five years ago), a very talented soprano with a nice clear top range, sang some descant to a couple of the hymns. In lieu of singing (except at a whisper, behind our masks), we've taken to more swaying and clapping.
 
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