Church

[chrisy]

Thought we were asked not discuss Religion or Politics on here?

 

[kerley]

Good post Tex
Tom.

 

[TexasBred]

Thought we were asked not discuss Religion or Politics on here?

Ah come on Chrisy...jump in and give us your thoughs...you little heathen. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[HerefordSire]

This was written by Teddy Roosevelt. I think it's still relevant today. I've put this in my church's newsletter.

Theodore Roosevelt's
Nine Reasons Why a Man Should Go to Church

1In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down grade.

2 Church work and church attendance mean the cultivation of the habit of feeling responsibility for others.

3 There are enough holidays for most of us. Sundays differ from other holidays in the fact that there are fifty-two of them every year. Therefore, on Sundays go to church.

4 Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in a man's own house as well as in church. But I also know, as a matter of cold fact, that the average man does not thus worship.

5 He may not hear a good sermon at church. He will hear a sermon by a good man who, whith his wife, is engaged all of the week in making hard lives a little easier.

6 He will listen to and take part in reading some beautiful passages from the Bible. And if he is not familiar with the Bible he has suffered a loss.

7 He will take part in the singing of some good hymns.

8 He will meet and nod or speak to good, quiet neighbors. He will come away feeling a little more charitable toward all the world, even toward those excessively foolish young men who regard churchgoing as a soft performance.

9 I advocate a man's joining in church work for the sake of showing his faith by his works.

From a pamphlet published by Roosevelt House. Roosevelt House was built by the Woman's Roosevelt Memorial Association with funds collected in the main by the women and children of the nation. The Roosevelt Memorial Association gathered and administered the collections and the library. These two organizations eventually became the Theodore Roosevelt Association we know today.

TY for sharing! Are the nine reasons above self-centered reasons for going to church or unselfish reasons?

 

[chrisy]

Thought we were asked not discuss Religion or Politics on here?

Ah come on Chrisy...jump in and give us your thoughs...you little heathen. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Ah 'Bless your heart' TexasBred I aint no heathen...

 

[larryshoat]

God is good....by faith I accept his presense and his promises. I fill like i have a big hole in my week if I don't start by worshipping the risen Lord. Even someone who does not beleive could find comfort in attending church, relaxing with friends, reflection on our lives and our state in life and just listening and enjoying the quiet. (in my church anyway). The Holy Bible is a great study even for non believers as it contains many truths that will help a man throughout his life and make him a better person if he can live by these tenents. Is a Church House necessary?? NO...Is group worship necessary?? NO but we are told to assembly together to worship. But I know I've also worshipped, prayed and trusted whil in a fox hole so God and Church are as close or as distant as you make them.

Now the actions and antics of some of these new "man made" churches do make me wonder.

Great post TB.

Larry

 

[HerefordSire]

I will never know if church is good for you. I only know it is good for me.
Tom

Why is church good for you?

 

[larryshoat]

Our church sends money every month to the childrens home, so is church good for them?

Does the children's home know where the money come's from?
The United Methodist Childrens Home is funded by the church, so I would assume they know where the money comes from.

At Christmas we send a pick-up load of presents to kids that otherwise would not get anything, is church good for them?

Do the kids know where the presents are coming from?
I suppose Santa Clause.

The people that we take meals when they've been sick, is church good for them?

Do the sick people your church take meals to know who donated the food?
We're a small community, it's hard to hide you identity.

We send a Kairos team into the prison to try to impact the lives of young people that don't know anything but abuse, is church good for them?

Do the prisoners know who sent the Kairos team?
For security reasons they know very little about the team.

Would all these be better off without the church?

Good question. Is the church really after the selfish feeling of feeling good or is you church performing all these good acts anonymously?
When we give to our children do we do it anonymously? The truth is we give to our children selflessly, whetther it is anonynous or not is irrelevant.

Many are so disappointed in the church because they ask what can I get rather than what can I give. To be blessed in a church you must first take the focus off of yourself and start to focus on the needs of those that usually don't have anything.

Larry

Great comment. Likewise, the church should give anonymously. Don't you agree? Otherwise, the motive is selfishness.

The church should give anonymously when that is appropriate, I don't agree that all other cases are sefishness. The idea that the church is out there every day meeting needs out of selfishness is silly.

Larry

 

[HerefordSire]

It makes a big difference Larry. There is nothing silly about it. This is one of the biggest issues I face with churches. It is one thing to help someone with them knowing you helped them and it is another to help someone without them knowing who helped them.

Besides for security reasons, has your church ever gave anything to anyone anonymously?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Besides for security reasons, has your church ever gave anything to anyone anonymously?

I absolutely can say mine has.

When mother was laid up in the hospital and then in hospice I remember all the kind lady groups that came around regularly and kept checking up on her when she was moved to hospice. When you think of grief counselling and outreach programs, it all gets way beyond monetary.

The congregation has food drives for food banks regularly.

 

[larryshoat]

It makes a big difference Larry. There is nothing silly about it. This is one of the biggest issues I face with churches. It is one thing to help someone with them knowing you helped them and it is another to help someone without them knowing who helped them.
Herf, I guess I've always looked at that a little differently. I've been on secular committee's responsible for selecting people for awards based on their service to others. My first criteria is what has this person done for those that are not likely to ever be able to do anything for them in return. I will take your point and acknowledge that our reasons for giving must be right.

Besides for security rerasons, has your church ever gave anything to anyone anonymously?

We never hide the fact that we give and meet needs in the name of Jesus Christ and that all the glory and honor go to Him.

Larry

 

[HerefordSire]

It makes a big difference Larry. There is nothing silly about it. This is one of the biggest issues I face with churches. It is one thing to help someone with them knowing you helped them and it is another to help someone without them knowing who helped them.
Herf, I guess I've always looked at that a little differently. I've been on secular committee's responsible for selecting people for awards based on their service to others. My first criteria is what has this person done for those that are not likely to ever be able to do anything for them in return. I will take your point and acknowledge that our reasons for giving must be right.

Besides for security rerasons, has your church ever gave anything to anyone anonymously?

We never hide the fact that we give and meet needs in the name of Jesus Christ and that all the glory and honor go to Him.

Larry

I wasn't trying to corner you Larry. I admire someone that gives, especially time. How can anyone be admired if we don't know who gives?

I challenge anyone reading this to donate $1 to someone, without anyone knowing about it, and then come back and share with the board. One way to do this, is with a third party sworn to secrecy. Another way to do this, is to drop a bill into an envelope, into someone's mail box. You get the idea.

 

[HerefordSire]

God is good....by faith I accept his presense and his promises. I fill like i have a big hole in my week if I don't start by worshipping the risen Lord. Even someone who does not beleive could find comfort in attending church, relaxing with friends, reflection on our lives and our state in life and just listening and enjoying the quiet. (in my church anyway). The Holy Bible is a great study even for non believers as it contains many truths that will help a man throughout his life and make him a better person if he can live by these tenents. Is a Church House necessary?? NO...Is group worship necessary?? NO but we are told to assembly together to worship. But I know I've also worshipped, prayed and trusted whil in a fox hole so God and Church are as close or as distant as you make them.

Now the actions and antics of some of these new "man made" churches do make me wonder.

Great post TB.

Larry

I agree. TB, you surprise me everyday.

 

[angie1]

I wasn't trying to corner you Larry. I admire someone that gives, especially time. How can anyone be admired if we don't know who gives?

I have/had no desire to wade into this thread, but I find this comment to be offensive ~ especially since it is directed to Larry, one of the most admirable on these boards. It is condescending, and minimizes his efforts and intent.

Admiration is not based on your contributions. You will be rewarded for them once. If you choose to advertise them on Cattle Today, then you will be rewarded for them on Cattle Today. Yippee :roll: And for as pathological as I find you to be at times HS, you do not strike me as stupid and I cannot believe that you believe what you say to be true.

 

[spoon]

I challenge anyone reading this to donate $1 to someone, without anyone knowing about it, and then come back and share with the board. One way to do this, is with a third party sworn to secrecy. Another way to do this, is to drop a bill into an envelope, into someone's mail box. You get the idea.[/i]

I know a church that has a program where they pay for the peoples food in the car behind them at drive thru restaurants. They just ask the cashier to hand them a card they carry that says that they just want to share Gods love in a tangible way. No names or church names involved. Giving someone money anonamously(sp) is a great idea. It's an even better idea if you are moved to do it by the spirit of the Lord. Doing charitable things without being led by the spirit of the Lord has nothing to do with the church or being a Christian.Telling others would prove it wasn't a God thing but a *me* thing. Kind of like telling people how much you tithe. There's no reason to try to impress others, only the blood of Jesus can get you into heaven and that can't be bought because it is a gift from God available to all his children through His son Jesus. Now after saying way more than I intended to, yes, I believe church is a great place for humans to study, pray, and learn more about Gods word. But most of all to praise and thank Him for all He does for us.

 

[Ryder]

It makes a big difference Larry. There is nothing silly about it. This is one of the biggest issues I face with churches. It is one thing to help someone with them knowing you helped them and it is another to help someone without them knowing who helped them.
Herf, I guess I've always looked at that a little differently. I've been on secular committee's responsible for selecting people for awards based on their service to others. My first criteria is what has this person done for those that are not likely to ever be able to do anything for them in return. I will take your point and acknowledge that our reasons for giving must be right.

Besides for security rerasons, has your church ever gave anything to anyone anonymously?

We never hide the fact that we give and meet needs in the name of Jesus Christ and that all the glory and honor go to Him.

Larry

I wasn't trying to corner you Larry. I admire someone that gives, especially time. How can anyone be admired if we don't know who gives?

I challenge anyone reading this to donate $1 to someone, without anyone knowing about it, and then come back and share with the board. One way to do this, is with a third party sworn to secrecy. Another way to do this, is to drop a bill into an envelope, into someone's mail box. You get the idea.

I am sure that a number of people on this board have given many times and much more than a dollar without anyone knowing about it.
But if someone does know about it, so what? That doesn't dictate that the motive for giving was selfish.
Circumstances may dictate different actions at different times.

 

[chrisy]

Almost everyone here has made a good point, and religion is a very personal thing it touches people in different ways, God is not the same to all, he comes to our hearts in many different ways, and is telling us, helping us and guiding us all the time with a message that is relevant to the situation we are in at the time. If people donate money and such and make a big thing of it, it is their glory they are trying to revel in, not Gods. As my Dad always said to me 'Tiney God moves in mysterious ways and you will always know he's around when you need him most', a wise old goat my Daddy was. and I feel he is my Guardian Angel now sitting on my shoulder, sent back to me by our Lord. So please don't mock anyone for their beliefs, if you don't agree with what they are saying that is up to you, as why should your way be right as opposed to their way. and remember 'A still tongue keeps a wise head' as what is said today in haste can not be taken back tomorrow, and good friends are hard to find. It brakes my heart to see bikering going on.

 

[Bandsaw]

http://longevity.about.com/od/longevity ... n_life.htm

 

[kerley]

I will never know if church is good for you. I only know it is good for me.
Tom

Why is church good for you?

Hereford Sire, Attend your own childs funeral then ask me about God and Church.
Tom.

 

[BeefmasterB]

Almost everyone here has made a good point, and religion is a very personal thing it touches people in different ways, God is not the same to all, he comes to our hearts in many different ways, and is telling us, helping us and guiding us all the time with a message that is relevant to the situation we are in at the time. It brakes my heart to see bikering going on.

Nicely said, Chrisy! However, it does make me smile a bit when folks bicker a little about religion because it makes me think about all the men and women who died to protect that right. 1st Amendment - Freedom of Religion. They didn't die in vain.