Liberal church service

[McCravey]

Since some of us are so deep in fundy territory and have never been in a liberal church setting, some of you who are so fortunate please describe your favorite part of the service.

We'll close our eyes and picture the scene with you.

[Andry]

After our praise and worship we have a coffee break before the sermon.

[CaDan]

Here (http://www.stjoan.com/homilies/homilies.htm) is a collection of written versions of presentations at my church. Here (http://www.stjoan.com/highlights/highlights.htm) is a couple of audio versions of recent ones.

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Picture the 2-3 teachers speaking after one another, correcting each other if necessary. The people are sitting around in somewhat of a circle, and anyone can ask a question if they need to. Before and after, traditional hymns are sung, and intercessory prayer is emphasized. Everyone is in one another's lives, helping then through tough times. No one feels left out. Is that liberal enough?

[meebs]

i havnt been to church for a while - my ideal service would be (obviously all for God!):

a couple of hymns/worship song at first
a reading (from gospel)
prayer - for world, others etc
a couple more hymns/worship songs.
then a sermon, where it makes you think, the priest doesnt put his/her own opinion in and babbles for ages - and you work out yourself what it means (gives quiet time/reflection/prayer.)
hymn/worship song
communion, where you dont have to be confimed to have it.
last hymn/worship song

a simple service where a lot of the dogma would be taken out

*i have been to these, where the priet puts own opinion in and everyone nods and agrees. usually slagging of another religion.


unfortunatly ive only been to a good church like this but its not near me!, there is another, but not a varied congregation and the worship music is played on an organ - not really enjoyable that you can really let it out (i know we are not supposed to fully enjoy it, God first etc!)

[Im_A]

small groups, sitting around talking about imporant issues in the faith. all of us praying together, then having fellowship.

[seebs]

Traditional Quaker meeting. Someone reads the query or quotation from the newsletter, then everyone sits in a circle and waits and prays. No planned speaking or anything, but people are sometimes moved to speak, and do. At the end, the person selected to close the meeting (normally the clerk) shakes someone's hand and says "good evening, friend". Then people shake hands, people introduce themselves, and we talk a bit if anyone has anything to talk about.

[WiredSpirit]

My church isn't officially a "liberal church" but its pretty far from a conservative church too. Our services are very similar to the large, conservative, non-denominational churches that I've attended all my life. The sermons are delivered in series and they are dynamic. We focus a lot more on social issues than most churches I've been to, and we don't spend a lot of money to bring in guest speakers, bands, etc. The service may just be slightly more liturgical that the protestant denominations with a formal prayer and citing of the Lord's prayer.

[Polycarp1]

I've avoided posting here, as we belong to an Episcopal church -- theologically and socially very liberal, but following the Book of Common Prayer in terms of worship. A great deal can be done with a prescribed liturgy, however, to make it meaningful to a liberal congregation -- which we do. (Ceteris paribus this is pretty close to what WiredSpirit was saying, except that Methodist services are slightly more free-form in content than Episcopalian, even ignoring the centrality of the Eucharist in Episcopalian ones.)

[meebs]

A great deal can be done with a prescribed liturgy, however, to make it meaningful to a liberal congregation -- which we do. (Ceteris paribus this is pretty close to what WiredSpirit was saying, except that Methodist services are slightly more free-form in content than Episcopalian, even ignoring the centrality of the Eucharist in Episcopalian ones.)eh? :scratch:

[McCravey]

I just got back from the last hurricane wanting, the whole time, to get back and read your stories and comments. They were a joy to read.

As many of you may already know, I attend a fundamental church and have never had the opportunity to attend a liberal service, so your stories are very enlightening.

As a contrast our fundamental services seem to focus on sin. The fallen nature of man is constantly reinforced through the preaching. We are made to feel guilty for everything we may have done during the week and during the service. You are asked over and over again if you are "saved"....are you sure?....have you sinned?....do you need to make it right with God?....on and on. What are you hiding from God? Do you need to confess?......

God is so far away we are so far from God.......seems to be the message. You feel like a rotten s*** head by the time you leave there....

[McCravey]

A good friend pm'd me this story about a liberal church service which I will now share, I will let you guess who it is.My favorite Liberal Church experience


I can't post in your thread in LC, cause of my heathen status and all, but I've been to liberal churches, and would like to share my favorite experience with you.

It was at the Canterbury house, http://www.canterburyhouse.org

It's technically Episcopalean, and they do receive much of their funding from the diocese, or whatever the equivalent is in the Anglican church.

The service had drums, keys, sax, and some other miscellaneous instruments, which would typically be enough to drive me screaming from the place, but it was pulled off so well, that it was incredibly meditative.

There were some songs with actual words, but the cooles part was the freestyle chanting that went on. People came in and dropped out as they felt like it, the drums and piano did their thing in true jazz improvization, and it all came to a natural conclusion.

Come communion time, the people stood in a circle, and passed the bread and wine around. The previous person offered communion to the next person in the circle, and I think it finally hit me the social meaning behind the ritual (I'd long been acquainted with the symbolic meaning, being raised Catholic and all). All were invited to communion; no one asked if anyone'd accepted Jesus as their lord and savior, or if they'd been properly schooled in the catechism and confirmed. If you wanted to partake, you were allowed to (I didn't, though, for one reason or another).

I'm not sure how common that sort of service is, but I wish everyone would be able to have a chance to check it out.

If it's not a violation of the rules, please post, or excerpt this in your thread.

[McCravey]

Here (http://www.stjoan.com/homilies/homilies.htm) is a collection of written versions of presentations at my church. Here (http://www.stjoan.com/highlights/highlights.htm) is a couple of audio versions of recent ones.

Great sermons, CaDan. Your church gathers some great speakers. I take it some of them are in your congregation already.

Must be exciting to attend.

[AveMaria]

My mother attends a very progressive and liberal Presbyterian church, and I often attend the 7 or 9 am services at my church, then meet her for her 11 am service.

Things I've noticed:

1) Tremendous emphasis in sermons on social justice issues - poverty, labor issues, war, deconstructing racism/classism, etc. Such issues are usually linked to both scripture and local/regional issues.

2) The Peace. I'm used to this occuring shortly before the Eucharist, and haven't seen it used often in Presbyterian churches (not that I've been in many!). They pass the peace weekly, at the very opening of service.

3) Pastor wears a wireless lavalier (sp?) mike and tends to walk around the nave during his sermon, interacting with the congregation, making sure he connects, even if only through eye contact, with the folks seated in the rear of the church. (I've never seen this done before either, perhaps it's done more often than I realize?).

4) Congregation joins hands during the prayers of the people, which tends to last 5- 10 minutes. (Again, perhaps this is done more often than I realize, I attend an Episcopal church that leans towards the more Anglo-Catholic end of the spectrum).

[WiredSpirit]

Here (http://www.stjoan.com/homilies/homilies.htm) is a collection of written versions of presentations at my church. Here (http://www.stjoan.com/highlights/highlights.htm) is a couple of audio versions of recent ones.
I love your church! Where can I find one?

[CaDan]

I love your church! Where can I find one?

Well, in Minneapolis. :)

You have to ask around. I found St. Joan of Arc through defending its former priest in his trial for protesting at the School of the Americas.

[meebs]

My mother attends a very progressive and liberal Presbyterian church, and I often attend the 7 or 9 am services at my church, then meet her for her 11 am service.

Things I've noticed:

1) Tremendous emphasis in sermons on social justice issues - poverty, labor issues, war, deconstructing racism/classism, etc. Such issues are usually linked to both scripture and local/regional issues.

2) The Peace. I'm used to this occuring shortly before the Eucharist, and haven't seen it used often in Presbyterian churches (not that I've been in many!). They pass the peace weekly, at the very opening of service.

3) Pastor wears a wireless lavalier (sp?) mike and tends to walk around the nave during his sermon, interacting with the congregation, making sure he connects, even if only through eye contact, with the folks seated in the rear of the church. (I've never seen this done before either, perhaps it's done more often than I realize?).

4) Congregation joins hands during the prayers of the people, which tends to last 5- 10 minutes. (Again, perhaps this is done more often than I realize, I attend an Episcopal church that leans towards the more Anglo-Catholic end of the spectrum).
most of this sounds good (though id rather pray alone than hold hands) i wish there was something like this near me! :sigh:

[UberLutheran]

Since some of us are so deep in fundy territory and have never been in a liberal church setting, some of you who are so fortunate please describe your favorite part of the service.

We'll close our eyes and picture the scene with you.

What fundies think we do
- Wear saffron robes and distribute flowers
- Rub a mallet around the sacred crystal bowl
- Chant the sacred "om"
- Worship the Shree Bashwam Sacred Sandal
- Take turns speaking using the Sacred Talking Stick
- Occasionally sacrifice a small animal or two (nothing bigger than a cat or a cocker spaniel)
- Get drunk on wine and stoned on marijuana
- Engage in orgies

What we ACTUALLY do
- Sing hymns (frequently out of the blue "With One Voice" book, more and more frequently from the "Renewing Worship" book. (We did turn "radical" in that we've dispensed with the organ and switched over to use of a grand piano, which is just fine with me!)
- Read Scripture (four lessons each Sunday, including one Old Testament lesson, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a reading from the Gospel -- with explanation and discussion of the readings
- Have Communion each Sunday
- Let people know that all who believe in the actual presence of Christ in the elements of bread and wine are welcome to commune with us

I'm really not sure what my favorite part of the service is. I do know that the Sunday service is the pivotal point and focus of my entire week, and I do try to observe a Sunday Sabbath.

One thing I really appreciate is the emphasis that ALL of us are sinners, and as such we have a completely equal playing field before God. We have been redeemed by Christ and marked as Christ's own -- not by anything we've done or could do on our own behalf, but by God's grace through faith -- so we can set aside the preachy judgments, the "well, thank God at least I'M not the kind of sinner YOU are" hypocrisy, and the sanctified slander because we're all in the same boat together.

[Arnold_Philips]

Traditional Quaker meeting. Someone reads the query or quotation from the newsletter, then everyone sits in a circle and waits and prays. No planned speaking or anything, but people are sometimes moved to speak, and do. At the end, the person selected to close the meeting (normally the clerk) shakes someone's hand and says "good evening, friend". Then people shake hands, people introduce themselves, and we talk a bit if anyone has anything to talk about.
The meeting I attend is like this, although we don't have an evening service.

There are maybe a steady group of 50 of us gathering in a club house for a golf course. The meeting begins promptly at 11 Sunday mornings, though some straggle in, and that's okay. We sit in silence and wait for the Lord, some praying and some reading and others just looking around or out the windows. If someone is compelled to speak, then he stands and speaks what he feels God is trying to communicate. For example, this last Sunday, it was revealed to me through a friend that my conflicts in life are purposeful and that I shouldn't be trying to diminish them, but embrace them as instruction from God. This one lady is appointed to end the meeting, and everyone shakes hands, "Good morning."

Then there's like half an hour of announcements, which get tedious near the end. It's usually things like "We're going to protest the execution next Thursday" or "We've been invited to an interfaith council next month" or "We're going camping this weekend" or "We need to vote on so and so."

Real good stuff. There's often cake too.

[faith_hope_love]

Hi, everybody! This is my first post. :-) Sorta long.

I am Lutheran--was attracted to the liturgy from my Methodist background in my college years. I love the ancient words of the liturgy: "Lord, have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord, have mercy." or "Holy, holy, holy...." It connects us with scriptural roots, and with historic practice which I find very meaningful. One Sunday we will sing the traditional hymnal tunes, another the modern ones, another a folk service, or one based on hymns, another spoken.

We also follow the pericope, that is, the list of international Christian texts, which we share with the Romans, the Anglicans, the Methodists and others. The Old Testament text is always connected with the Gospel reading which, of course, are the words of Jesus. Then the Epistle lesson gives us words from St. Paul, admonishing the early church (and us.)

The habit in the Lutheran church is to preach on the Gospel lesson. I like the discipline of that--no matter how legalistic some Lutheran churches can get (VERY) this discipline usually elicits a homily based on the Gospel promises of Christ. (The terrible fights inside the LCMS over the last 30 years have been over such "Gospel reductionism," as well as "who communes" et al.)

Then--the ancient creed, and the Prayer of the Church: we pray, either in versicle and response format, or more free form, for all the anguish of the world, and in our own lives. This is where the liberal part can come in, quite profoundly, as well as the homily.

Finally--the offertory (preparation for Communion--bread and wine com forward, money gifts, too, peace exchanged) the liturgy is richest at this part, including both the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. This has become a real love fest in our working class suburban congregation. The communion time which follows is filled with hymns for those done praying. Dancing up to the altar of Christ to receive a "hug" from the Lord in His body and blood, in, with and under the bread and wine--all the baptized are invited.

We return thanks, receive blessing, sing a joyous hymn to seal it, then the organ bursts forth in heavenly tones. The whole gang troops out into the narthex to get a hug from the pastor, and each other again, and then downstairs to coffee hour to celebrate some more. :-)

It is the passion and power that keeps me going, and has helped build family among black and white, young and old, white collar and blue collar folks. Our little congregation was a stuck up "members only" club in 1973 when my husband and I moved here to Chicago's south side from Madison, WI. Now they all love each other, and any stranger is welcomed quickly, the work of the Holy Spirit.

Most voted Dem this election, though we are not overtly political. We have raised so many kids, trying to give them an alternative to the false values they learn in this country these days. And keeping everyone healthy, trying to change them over from drugs for every ailment and terrifying solutions for disease, to eating a little more healthy, thinking and learning and walking, to fight off all the negative stuff surrounding us in this culture.

Worship is our touchstone. We expect to meet the living Christ in that hour (and a half.) And all the Baroque hymns, which we mix with Fanny Crosby and many wonderful newer ones, including those from Africa, C America, all the hymn singing is praying of a deep sort. (Luther said, "He who sings prays twice!") In the daze of the last couple days, lighting the Christ candle, reading Ps 46 in v/p, and praying the Compline (end of day) liturgy helped me recover from the shock.

Much, much love and recovery to you all, dear hearts. :-)

[faith_hope_love]

From McCravey ("goat herders unite") :-)

"I just got back from the last hurricane wanting, the whole time, to get back and read your stories and comments. They were a joy to read.

As many of you may already know, I attend a fundamental church and have never had the opportunity to attend a liberal service, so your stories are very enlightening.

As a contrast our fundamental services seem to focus on sin. The fallen nature of man is constantly reinforced through the preaching. We are made to feel guilty for everything we may have done during the week and during the service. You are asked over and over again if you are "saved"....are you sure?....have you sinned?....do you need to make it right with God?....on and on. What are you hiding from God? Do you need to confess?......

God is so far away we are so far from God.......seems to be the message. You feel like a rotten s*** head by the time you leave there...."




Oh, McCravey, it hurts my heart to read this! And you know what, it is sorta funny in a way! The fundie churches, we hear, so despise the Catholics as "heathen" or some such thing. But they are behaving just like the medieval papist power structure that Luther broke away from! In those days, few who were not monks or nuns were said to be very heaven-worthy. Look at the art from that period--the monks and nuns and priests are all in the boats paddling up to heaven, where the regular folks are all falling into the flames of hell!

Luther got incensed, really from his own guilt-ridden experience, and reading deeply the words of St. Paul in Romans, with the aid of the Holy Spirit--got incensed at the Pope for sending his emissary to sell "indulgences" to the local flock! This little piece of paper was said to give you a ticket straight to heaven, in exchange for money to build St. Peter's in Rome. (Sounds a little like Jimmy Swaggart et al.) Luther said that if the Pope had that kind of power really, then he should unlock heaven for everybody, not just those on top of society and all the churchmen!

His "95 Theses" started the discussion, and changed the church. He translated the Bible into German from the Greek and Hebrew, translated church services into German from the Latin, and wrote hymns for the people to sing themselves, instead of the choir. He preached the "priesthood of all believers" right out of scripture, and insisted with St. Paul that "all have fallen short of the glory of God...that every mouth be stopped!" And that it is BY GRACE ALONE that any of us is saved!! God's grace!! God is good, and LOVES US EACH SO MUCH!! It is through what Christ has done that we are saved!! Jesus Christ who ate with and loved the sinners of His age, who went to the cross for each of us!!

And, oh, McCravey, the Holy Spirit brings God so close! At first I had a real hard time with all this angel business. I mean, in secular towns in Connecticut I was seeing "angel" stores popping up everywhere. And I knew there were angels in the Bible, and I loved the "Touched by an Angel" TV show. But I was a little irritated at all the New Agers who sort of felt they didn't need God, that everyone was "spiritual" on their own, and you could just get by on "angels" like guardian angels or something.

Well, gosh, He sure puts up with a lot of stupidity, but He finally got through my dense brain: it was like a shower of light when I felt His words, one of the vivid experiences I have had. And I heard the words "So that I can reach all My people...."

And in a flash I understood! Our God loves us all SO MUCH, He reaches out in every way there is to meet us where we are!

Perhaps, McCravey, you will be like Luther. Like Luther, in your congregation. Read the book of Romans to them! Read the New Testament on your own, and pray it with all the questions in your heart! And pick a hymn or song that YOU like--lots of redemption kind of things in the old Protestant hymnals, about the joy of the Lord after all. Or pick some of the modern folkie things, "Bread of Life" or other, or stop in to a Taisé service of prayer and singing, if you can find one. The Lord will lead you! I think He already has, to ask these questions! And YOU can be the way the whole congregation begins to see the Light again, the light that much "fundamentalism" has snuffed out.

For, dear child, God IS Love. And "whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." I John 4

No such thing as "being saved," "are you saved" "have you accepted Jesus enough" et al!!! It is HE who made us, and not we ourselves! It is HE who "saves" us, and not we ourselves! It is HE who walks with us, and talks with us daily, and NOT just we ourselves! "I Come To the Garden Alone" is a good old song, if you're still looking for one.

The fundie churches have gotten themselves in a huge mess. But I think they have had some very negative help. But God's Holy Spirit is not to be denied, and the questions, the hurt in your heart, is the moving of that very Spirit!

Much love, goat herder. Me, "I just want to be a sheep" baa baa baa baa baa :-)

[WiredSpirit]

I just thought I'd add something about my church. Our senior pastor is theologically conservative, although he is probably liberal in most of his political positions. He made a comment at a class he was teaching that I was in saying that we have liberal members, conservative members, and people everywhere in between and he loves that he can be a pastor for everybody.

I was thinking about how this might apply to politicians. Why can't we have a president for everybody, who will represent everybody.

[Im_A]

i dont' know what a liberal church service is, but the ministry i try to attend to, (sadly enough i have driving issues right now, and i hope to make it up there soon, it's an hour away), but sunday mornings to evenings were consisted in this order.

1. Playing Dungeons and Dragons
2. Have Lunch together and more fellowship
3. Back to Dungeons and Dragons
4. After that, the pastor's wife would cook for anyone who wanted to stay for supper.
5. Then meet for the evening meeting, which consists of talking, tea, pop, chips if we want.
6. Then after that, more fellowship, which could include games, or just hanging out in the building and talking about whatever.

i like this a lot because it turns church into a whole day activity instead of a 2 hour ordeal. fellowship with one another either playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons, or something else for fellowship, eat together, then back to fellowship, then eat together, then speak about God and the Word, then more fellowship together in however it may end up. it was quite a change for me at first. it just seemed really different than what i was used to. then as i kept on going, i caught the idea, and i love the idea more than the way things are normally done, because it turns it into a community, and like i said before, which is the best way to explain it, instead of church lasting for 2 hours, it lasts all day long, sometimes till 11pm.

[CaDan]

i dont' know what a liberal church service is, but the ministry i try to attend to, (sadly enough i have driving issues right now, and i hope to make it up there soon, it's an hour away), but sunday mornings to evenings were consisted in this order.

1. Playing Dungeons and Dragons
2. Have Lunch together and more fellowship
3. Back to Dungeons and Dragons
4. After that, the pastor's wife would cook for anyone who wanted to stay for supper.
5. Then meet for the evening meeting, which consists of talking, tea, pop, chips if we want.
6. Then after that, more fellowship, which could include games, or just hanging out in the building and talking about whatever.

i like this a lot because it turns church into a whole day activity instead of a 2 hour ordeal. fellowship with one another either playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons, or something else for fellowship, eat together, then back to fellowship, then eat together, then speak about God and the Word, then more fellowship together in however it may end up. it was quite a change for me at first. it just seemed really different than what i was used to. then as i kept on going, i caught the idea, and i love the idea more than the way things are normally done, because it turns it into a community, and like i said before, which is the best way to explain it, instead of church lasting for 2 hours, it lasts all day long, sometimes till 11pm.

Have you been hanging out at Seebs' house? :)

[seebs]

Sounds fun!

[McCravey]

Well, It's good to see you over here again seebs, welcome back.

I had a very interesting experience this weekend. I taught SS class to my little flock yesterday (we are located in a fundy church but I teach very liberaleee, if you know what I mean) I read them the "real live preacher's" words on "I believe every word in the Bible" and then we went over the difference between belief and faith, and how sometimes they are opposed to one another.

The point was to show us that there is no way we can intellectually understand every word in the Bible, heck, even the word "Blessed" is hard enough. Then we discussed what Christ meant when he said blessed.

A couple of things were brought out in the lesson:

1) That anyone who says that they believe every word in the bible doesn't really know what they are talking about.
2) That although the church thought they were standing for morality when they voted for "W" in the last election the interest of church members reflects society in general which is very worldly (I hope I expressed this correctly)


After SS I went with friends to another church to visit. There was a guest evangelist, and it is amazing what he said.....here are some excerpts:

1) He believes "every word in the bible" He even told a little joke about it and everyone laughed, agreeing with him that they all "believe every word in the Bible".

2) He congratulated the congregation on voting for "W" because they were taking a stand for morality and standing against gays etc. etc. The rest of his sermon was no better.

3) One of the deacons took up the offering and prayed.......and he actually prayed that God would "kill our enemies if we cannot save them"

What is wrong with Christianity today....where is Christ in all of this?

These are serious problems.

If Christ really does show up like they think he will, they won't recognize them when they see him. They need to wake up.

[Kaonashi]

When I get a chance to speak at the church that I'm floating at now. I may use I Believe Every Word in the Bible or There's something About The Way You Use The Bible. The Latter though may just get me thrown out. :D

[CaDan]

When I get a chance to speak at the church that I'm floating at now. I may use I Believe Every Word in the Bible or There's something About The Way You Use The Bible. The Latter though may just get me thrown out. :D

The Truth hurts, sometimes. :)

[freespirit2001]

Liberal Christians just like to speak their mind, like to ask questions, and we are the information-gatherers of the Universe. I just like the fact, that we have a Liberal Christian Forum here, can share our Liberal Church service experiences (?),that we tend to more interested in following the teachings of Christ more than man-made doctrines. Some of us are more spiritual-minded than others here; some of us have to be more focused on what's happening in the environment more than others here; all in all we can find better acceptance about our insights (emotional, psychological, spiritual) sharing together in a forum here. I love the fact that we can and do speak our minds here, and that we can share some reality testing and perception testing, even if our perception sometimes is not all of what it should be at times....

(....whew...alot of politics and emotions happening at times....alot of irons in the fire of the battle...)

This is a "mad, mad, mad, mad world".......not exactly the quote from Harry S. Newman I was looking for...but that's how I am feeling this morning.
Anyone remember this Harry, from Mad magazine, from the 60's?:doh:

In contrast to this thought, coming from a family past full of mixed belief in God---mixed belief in God, I am thankful for the Spirit of God who prepares us as liberal Christians to battle the good battle with a stronger convition of spirit and faith. I can see people around me who honor the Lord with just their words of flattery and socially taught pretenses, who will always feel anger is pretentious power...and I try not to blame them myself, for their what-ever reasons why they follow these games and scripts... Moods tend to rule---not faith. If scapegoating---God is included. I do try to avoid them at all costs though.

The major behaviors I speak of, concerning power pretenses are:

The Six Phases of a Project
~ Enthusiasm
~ Disillussionment
~ Panic
~ Search for the Guilty
~ Punishment of the Innocent
~ Praise and honors for the Non-Participants

Why do politics and religion have to run this kind of gamut?

I know this is always an assertive battle test about who are currently in the minority now, and who will inevitably be in the majority...( just a thought concerning what authoriative power is in life, what actual referent power is, how incredible expert power can be in life at times, what good infomation power is...)

I also understand that emotional intelligence is the knowing of one's emotions which is crucial to self-understanding. Empathy and introspection are also an important part of self-awareness:

"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
---Edith Sitwell

"The ultimate test of what a truth means is the conduct it inspires or dictates."
---William James

Liberal Christians have intellectually accepted Christ, while fundies Christians have emotionally accepted Him...Liberal Christians tend to see doubts as opportunites to grow in faith than signs of weakness....The Liberal Christian theology movement is rooted in rationalism....

:wave: I am thankful for these things about our faith as Liberal Christians...:thumbsup: ;) :D
"Magnaest vis consuetudins"---"Great is the power of thought"....

[freespirit2001]

My favorite church services were actually in a small bible study held in someone's home (a young owner of a health food store) They were lead by a wonderful man in his early twenties, where we studied the gospel of St. John, the books of Acts, Romans and Corinthians---sang songs to a guitar, visited other churches as a group, shared the understanding of what salvation in Christ is about, had the Sunday worship service in the back room of the health food store ( I can still remember the old wood floors and the barrels of grains and food supplies) I was really blessed with wonderful dreams for many years of my life, from this wonderful spiritual experience.