Okrahomer Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 This Church essay makes a lot of sense to me--even here in this virtual community. "In an age that magnifies personal freedom, what could sound less attractive than “binding” oneself to the quirks and idiosyncrasies of a large group of people?" "As author Lillian Daniel says, "Anyone can find God alone in the sunset. It takes a certain maturity to find God in the person sitting next to you who has different political views, or when a baby who is crying while you're trying to listen to the sermon."[7] Yet these very inconveniences with other people give substance to our faith, enrich our human empathies and bolster our civic foundation." "In this age of falling trust and social disintegration, a return to the sacred commitments of congregations will make our communities more cohesive. When the fabric of society begins to fray, religion with its layered threads of social capital can help bind it together." 2
The Nehor Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 But people who are different then me are always wrong. 1
Bikeemikey Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 (edited) This Church essay makes a lot of sense to me--even here in this virtual community. "In an age that magnifies personal freedom, what could sound less attractive than “binding” oneself to the quirks and idiosyncrasies of a large group of people?" "As author Lillian Daniel says, "Anyone can find God alone in the sunset. It takes a certain maturity to find God in the person sitting next to you who has different political views, or when a baby who is crying while you're trying to listen to the sermon."[7] Yet these very inconveniences with other people give substance to our faith, enrich our human empathies and bolster our civic foundation." "In this age of falling trust and social disintegration, a return to the sacred commitments of congregations will make our communities more cohesive. When the fabric of society begins to fray, religion with its layered threads of social capital can help bind it together." Those are excellent quotes!!! Totally captures one of the key reasons I attend church. It also totally captures one reason i think broad diversity within a congregation leads to deeper individual spiritual maturity and a better personal relationship with God. Edited April 1, 2014 by Bikeemikey 1
Buckeye Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 That is a really nice essay. It seems to echo many sentiments from Eugene England's famous essay Why the Church is as True as the Gospel (http://www.eugeneengland.org/why-the-church-is-as-true-as-the-gospel). I'll be using this resource whenever members suggest that another member leave the church if they find something they disagree with. 1
Okrahomer Posted April 2, 2014 Author Posted April 2, 2014 That is a really nice essay. It seems to echo many sentiments from Eugene England's famous essay Why the Church is as True as the Gospel (http://www.eugeneengland.org/why-the-church-is-as-true-as-the-gospel). I'll be using this resource whenever members suggest that another member leave the church if they find something they disagree with.Thank you for the link! I love Eugene England's writing.
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