(no subject)
Hoo boy. Check this out: http://www.cafechurch.org.au/
Does the intro page bother anyone, or is it just me? "everybody welcome informality reflection listening spiritual nomads creative idea processing truth seeking jesus coffee swearing passionate quality music cake artists dance free parking crying pets candlelight interactive input speaking love"
what is this, free verse? Word association? When I was on my last legs with the church, I wanted a church where I could be myself, and this would have hooked me. But throwing a bunch of words on the page to indicate that this "non-traditional church" accepts people while luring them into another charismatic settting where people exorcise demons and spout more of the tounges-speaking doctrine is deceptive. They may appeal to people with their "creative" approach to doctrine but you're still going to find DOCTRINE there underneath it all. All the "creative thought processing" hides the same story, repackaged to look different. I'd have to echo Renee Alston's ideas from the book Stumbling Toward Faith...the miracle isn't that I'm still seeking God after all this, it's that I haven't given in to a denomination that makes God smaller like this. I could live in a charismatic box and be quite comfortable. I could run laps around the sanctuary and speak in tongues and jump up and down and cry and sing the songs and dance and not bat an eyelash...except that the God I'm seeking is bigger than all that and doesn't FIT in a box, despite my efforts to cram him there.
Besides, bad grammar doesn't make you look cool. Or spiritual.