Comments on: #574. Grumbling

By: MyPennyPile.com

MyPennyPile.com — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:08:44 +0000

Barbara, you little black sheep you. I believe you just used "feed" and "willingly" in the same comment. All backed by scripture.

By: Barbara H.

Barbara H. — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:44:59 +0000

I Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

By: preacherlady

preacherlady — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:56:29 +0000

It was always my policy, when church pastoring, to listen thoroughly to the "I'm not being fed" folks and do all in my power to meet their needs. But for the ones who slept or Blackberry'd their way through all the sermons, blew off Sunday School and midweek Bible Study, left their home prayer/study materials in a heap on the pew each week, and refused to show up for evening prayer and song, week after week after week ...well, there just wasn't too much I could do for 'em. (But it was still my fault they weren't being fed, of course.)

It's a two-way street. Pastor's gotta feed, but parishioner's gotta chew and swallow.

wv: hisst - what the chief complainer and her accomplice did all through the service: "I wasn't fed today because the McRotten Sisters hisst right behind me the whole time."

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:39:02 +0000

I can see how you would get upset if someone said this about your church, because it can be said in a way that makes the person sound super spiritual. However, if we assume that everyone who makes that statement is wrong, that means that EVERY single church out there is preaching the true gospel in a way that should reach everyone. Many of us have church-shopped, do you really want to make that claim?

By: J-Ra

J-Ra — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:29:21 +0000

I don't intend to get all defensive here, but if you point the finger at the individual person, you can miss the fact that the church is indeed not feeding people.

I went to a church a couple times near my campus. I stopped going to the Sunday mornings when the pastor said, "I think we give God ideas, sometimes," and I stopped going to the Wednesday nights (to which I only originally went because of the free food) when the pastor (who had been divorced) said, "I know Jesus said this about divorce, but...." I don't remember what the "but" was, but I don't think there should be a "but" in that situation.

Although, for that situation, grumbling shouldn't happen. Leaving the church should.

By: Nicodemus at Nite

Nicodemus at Nite — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:54:19 +0000

In relation to #1, the essential statement I usually hear is, "I just don't get anything out of it." Whether it's a bible study or sermon they will always complain.

I know people may have to church hop sometimes to find a good church home, but if we always say we don't get anything out of church, it shows our immaturity.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:10:27 +0000

Carrie, I can totally understand that. I think it would be really rude to look down on someone who attends "that" church that another left … thinking they are so far ahead of all the other poor souls left behind. That's so wrong. I'm sorry you've experienced that.

Someone else asked why Christians are to be fed at church. It comes out of the various mentions of the church in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, where the people would gather together to worship as a group. Everything we do is an act of worship, but God placed great importance upon worshiping as a group on the Sabbath and then the early church changed to Sunday for a couple reasons we know of. The readings of what they would do in those gatherings are what we base our gathering times upon today … singing, reading the word, preaching, …. The New Testament explains that nonbelievers will be present in the gathering of the church (and will be blessed by it) but the gathering of the church is for the enouragement and edification of believers who need it so desperately as they go out into the world day by day, spreading Jesus wherever they are. I think we forget how dependent the Bible makes us upon each other.

michele

By: Carrie

Carrie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:48:26 +0000

@Lindsey and Anonymous @9:55: I totally understand what you are saying. And I agree. My little soap box speech was strictly based on my own personal experience with people telling me that line. It was in no way painting everyone who leaves a church for some reason or another in that way. I agree that God has given us each ways that we hear Him best and we should find a church that fits that. Sorry if my speech came across as lumping everyone together. It was more a personal frustration with some of my friends that have used that line and looked down on me because I go to a certain church

By: Juliet

Juliet — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:52:29 +0000

where in the Bible does it say we're supposed to be fed at church? New Christians are "fed" but mature Christians should be feeding themselves! It's all part of growing up in Christ. I personally have found that people who are saying they're not being fed are either offended with leadership or are not getting into the Word of God for themselves, often both. It's an attitude of the heart – regardless of how simple the sermon, a heart that's open and teachable will find something. So mny Christians are just gluttons – wanting to be spoon fed everything but never learning to feed themselves. It's sad. We're here for others, not for ourselves.

By: "Just Me - NC Beth"

"Just Me - NC Beth" — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:14:32 +0000

Great Post!! Food for thought…

~Beth