Today all over America people are doing Church. They are going to Church. Most will drive to Church and park in the Church parking lot. They will then go inside a Church building that, in some cases, cost up to millions of dollars.

They will speak to others as they take a seat and wait for Church to start. The lights are dimmed as the overhead begins to flash. Soon one of the performers goes to the front and enters the stage...pulpit. Most everyone becomes quiet as he begins the first song of the morning. Some are not quite ready because they are still enjoying fellowshipping with others. The song, however, soon quiets all down.

At the end of the song the first performer says, "Please stand and greet the people near you." The group (as puppets on a string) rise to their feet and dutifully returns to their greeting of others. A few minutes later the performer again calls the group to order and worship begins.

More songs are sung, some by the group and some by the praise teem (something added, the last few years.nib) Then the main event begins. The Pulpit Minister now stands behind the pulpit stand. Not a sound is heard as the mere man gives his interpretation of what the Bible means in our society today. He is a fine speaker (thus trained) who might start with a funny preacher joke. Everyone loves these jokes and laugh, and maybe clap.

Now the stage is set. The group is going to be edified..encouraged. No one speaks up to ask a question or add his comments. That is unacceptable in Church. Oh no, don't bother the Pulpit Minister. If you have something to say do it after Worship when most of the members have left the building. Don't want to upset anyone, now do we?

Everyone looks straight ahead at the head in front of him. Minds may wander but that is ok. At least they are doing Church.

What translation is used by the Pulpit Minister? Certainly not the Living Oracles translated by Alexander Campbell because he left out the word *Church* as a translation of *ekklesia*. There are things not usually mentioned about the teaching of Alex Campbell because he taught against preachers being paid to preach the gospel. He called it *popery*.

Now it is time for communion. Men, as little wooden soldiers, sometimes walk down the isle in perfect step and take their places behind the communion table.

Next comes the *giving back to the Lord*. Sometimes 1 Cor. 16:2 is quoted. Many times it is misquoted as the *by himself* is left completely out. Another scripture is usually given at this time, also. "God loves a cheerful giver."

Well, it is time to end Worship to God. But wait! Announcements must be made. The bulletin which everyone has in their hands (or on the floor) gone over item by item. (Might be some in the group who can't read.)

Everyone takes all this in stride because they believe this is what God wants them to do.

But is it??

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2000

Answers

Nelta....

See the following......

THE HUNDREDS OF SCRIPTURES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT BEFORE YOU ALREADY IN THIS FORUM THAT YOU REFUSE TO ANSWER.

Dittos to Michael's response.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2000

Yes.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2000

Where?

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2000

Alexander Campbell was an extremely wealthy landowner with slaves...but we all can't be perfect can we? Don't quote Mr. C to us Nelta and think you've made a profound statement. All your comments do for us is display your refusal to accept God's Word as authoritative. No thanks Nelta, but you can keep your psuedo-cyber religion.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2000

Mike

How about proving what I said is not scriptural instead of doing your usual ranting.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2000

Michael W. Demastus,

Having slaves and other forms of servants does not make Alexander Campbell wrong. Many owned slaves and God did not condemn them, he did lay out some specifics as to how to treat them.

What Nelta said re: doing church is right on the money. Nothing wrong with going to church but it does not make you holy nor do you rack up points with God for listening to some one talk for an hour every week.

My Question again is why don't preachers follow the Biblical example of allowing the people to express themselves. I tried it in the last church and they told me..."Don't be talking about that Israel stuff or the Kingdom Stuff."

The main point of the Bible is Kingdom Stuff and Israel. Most preachers have not a clue and would rather, as is evident, turn the kingdom over to a people who claim, by their own admission, to be antichrist. Yet when all the good christians are "Raptured" the Holy Spirit is supposed to leave this earth and then, by some other means I suppose, the antichrist types are converted then to evanglize the world. That is weird. And that is some of the stuff that preachers talk about on Sunday.

If you read the following you have to conclude that God is not altogether pleased with what the pastors of today are doing to his people. The context is in the last days, "the battle"...(Ezek 13:4 KJV) "O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts."

(Ezek 13:5 KJV) "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD."

(Ezek 13:6 KJV) "They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word."

(Ezek 13:7 KJV) "Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?"

(Rev 3:18 KJV) "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."

(Rev 3:19 KJV) "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

Jesus is talking to Christians.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2000

Why not allow people to speak and do in public worship services what God puts into their hearts? It's a body, after all... my arm doesn't stop functioning when my nose sniffs the air. I can walk and chew gum at the same time.

How we congregate will of course vary by the culture in which we live. Is there an official method or right practice by which all other practices should be judged? I think it has frustrated Christians to find that scripture appears to have scant reference to what most people call church today and how it's to be conducted. Some people interpret what they read, as it appears Nelta does, to indicate that such services aren't scriptural. Others believe it gives them freedom to worship as they feel most comfortable and to determine their own "rules." And others believe we should stick to the traditions handed down to us from centuries of Christianity and perhaps Judaism.

When Jesus contrasted the Pharisee and the tax collector, He pointed out that the tax collector was justified rather than the Pharisee. The Pharisee stood there noticing other people; the tax collector stood "afar off," and didn't even bother to look up. In Matthew 6, Jesus warns of loving to be seen by others and recommends instead to go hide in a room and pray there. Therefore it's quite obvious from scripture that (though it may seem ridiculous or heretical to say it) there is a clear danger in public worship services. And if we stuck to the prayer Jesus suggests, we'd have our official service over with in no time flat. What then?

Church is not a building; it's the body of believers. Whenever they get together, that's the church of Jesus Christ, congregating right there. And if you strip the word "church" from the building and the service and apply it to what it is in truth, the people, then every word that Paul wrote in his letters discusses how church, the believers, are to conduct themselves and what service should be like. Only it's not just one person doing most of the service; it's everyone. We're all ministers. And church should be about how to serve one another. Personally, I find that difficult to do when I'm in an audience.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2000