tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post2321354263849456038..comments2023-12-25T14:38:40.017-05:00Comments on Holy Ordinary: The Sacraments of Everyday Life: Let's Get Rid of ChurchBrent Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351957537347562545noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-62656030230609620412008-10-31T01:45:00.000-04:002008-10-31T01:45:00.000-04:00It depends on what you mean by "church". If it's ...It depends on what you mean by "church". If it's the lifeless, often politically manipulative institution, then, yes, get rid of it. But wasn't it originally supposed to mean the Body of Christ? Isn't the church the community of like-hearted believers, in whom God dwells? It would be nice to reclaim the word with that meaning.<BR/><BR/>- a twenty-year-old Quaker attenderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-63340142516323979642008-10-12T20:55:00.000-04:002008-10-12T20:55:00.000-04:00I sorta like Nemo's idea about circles being a goo...I sorta like Nemo's idea about circles being a good name, but still like "Meeting" better -- I think "Meeting" inplies some sort of possible action -- as in, we might (there's the possibility?) of "meeting" Jesus there...<BR/><BR/>I know our Friends in Fellowship group meets in a a kinda amoeba shape -- depending on who shows up and whether we meet in the living room or on the porch...Brent Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351957537347562545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-4773561355664640222008-10-12T10:15:00.000-04:002008-10-12T10:15:00.000-04:00I have always been impressed with how Meeting for ...I have always been impressed with how Meeting for Worship is held in a circle. That way no one Friend is the focus, only God. And so many more faces are visible.<BR/><BR/>Maybe we should call ourselves Friends' Circles?nemohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00875684967604441851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-19975257190158373332008-10-11T20:59:00.000-04:002008-10-11T20:59:00.000-04:00BTW, our family leans more Conservative/convergent...BTW, our family leans more Conservative/convergent than Evangelical, and our local meeting is a "worship group" with no Friends, meeting, or church in the title.Laurie Chase Kruczekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15517846044382639311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-65615236316636118302008-10-11T20:57:00.000-04:002008-10-11T20:57:00.000-04:00I love West Hills Friends! They are such a breath...I love West Hills Friends! They are such a breath of fresh air in the Evangelical Quaker realm. We occasionally drive an hour and a half just to attend. It is a wonderful meeting.<BR/><BR/>Or church.<BR/><BR/>Or whatever.<BR/><BR/>I personally like the idea of the use of meeting. I don't think many Evangelicals would agree with you though, Brent. Too bad because it is a cool way to mark a convergence between all the different Friends groups.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for suggesting it.Laurie Chase Kruczekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15517846044382639311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-40999703474606151772008-10-10T14:43:00.000-04:002008-10-10T14:43:00.000-04:00I know of West Hills Friends in Portland, OR that ...I know of West Hills Friends in Portland, OR that has neither Meeting or Church attached. It may be urban legend but I heard that it was because the congregation could not agree which message to send. It is a member " church" of NWYM of EFI. Somehow this group of EFI seems to intentionally retain many Friends testimonies, such as the stance on physical sacraments, peace testimony, etc.Tom Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12194918323559385371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-80622396504393151972008-10-09T15:25:00.000-04:002008-10-09T15:25:00.000-04:00Greetings Friend,Unprogrammed Meetings do retain t...Greetings Friend,<BR/><BR/>Unprogrammed Meetings do retain the word Meeting. I actually look for Church or Meeting to tell me what type of Friends are likely to meet together in that space. Meetings tend to be Unprogrammed, Spirit-centred, non-Christocentric, while Churches tend to have belief in Jesus pre-requisites. I prefer Spirit centered Meetings, but I have enjoyed the worship in Churches as well. <BR/><BR/>I enjoyed reading your thoughts,<BR/><BR/>LeafW. Leaf Zukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15390319906692489339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36295725.post-68622697612969859682008-10-09T10:56:00.000-04:002008-10-09T10:56:00.000-04:00It's not just church that people don't like - it's...It's not just church that people don't like - it's also penal substitution theology, exclusivity (the Scandal of Particularity), and the evangelical view that Jesus is the one true way to the one true god. I don't understand the difference between a Convergent Friend and an ordinary Friend (despite reading numerous posts on the subject), but I assume most Friends don't subscribe to the unpleasant doctrines listed above. <BR/><BR/>But you see, if <A HREF="http://nemeton.blogspot.com/2007/11/religions-as-software.html" REL="nofollow">religion is described in terms of computers</A>, Quakers and Unitarians are basically Apple Macs - everyone thinks they're cool but no-one actually owns one / is one.Yewtreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02028699564003381058noreply@blogger.com