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Old 01-16-2006, 07:12 AM
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Catt of the Garage Catt of the Garage is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 47
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Gaaah! It's a denominational superiority complex. Honestly, these are the curse of the church and have been for years.

I'd say, first off, don't leave unless you feel you are being called to leave. Every church has some people with an attitude problem. In your original church you felt the membership was fundamentally not accepting you - in that case, you're better off out of it, but this church sounds different to me. It sounds like you enjoy your church, you are participating, you feel valued and you feel like God wants you to be there, so I'd say, hang in there.

But as for the bad attitude you're getting over your different approach to worship - first off I don't think you're "taking it too seriously"; worship is a very important thing and you should feel comfortable approaching God in whatever way works for you and Him; and in criticising your worship style these people are getting too big for their boots. You might have to confront them about it, or it might be better to just let it slide off, depending on the situation. But don't lose sight of the fact that you are right - if your worship is offered "in spirit and truth", then it is just as acceptable to God whatever the style.

But having said that I don't think you're taking it too seriously, it might help to take it with a bigger pinch of salt. These vagaries can be offensive, or they can be funny, depending on how you look at it. This is typical Pentecostal behaviour - next sentence they'll be suggesting you organise a spontaneous round of applause.

I don't mean to belittle this at all -as a Baptist myself I find a statement like "you need to step out of your Baptist roots and become Pentecostal" very objectionable. But you'll find this kind of attitude in any denomination, albeit in many disguises.

Imagine if you were a Pentecostal and you became the worship leader at a very strait-laced Baptist church but remained "true to your roots", speaking in tongues and muttering prayers into the microphone over a repeated guitar riff. Or imagine you were a Catholic who joined a Brethren church and insisted on genuflecting and calling the elders "Father". Imagine the response you'd get! It's just human nature - the persistent attempt to turn Church from the Body of Christ into a "member's only" club. And there are two possible responses to it - get disillusioned and leave, or else see through it - see God's vision of a united, beautiful Church with a truly divine mission, and see these persistent dirty habits for what they are - the grime of humanity clinging to Jesus' robe. This is what he came to save us from.

Hang in there. I'd give them a slap for you but I'm in Scotland and who would pay the air fares?
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