Church Attendance

[Edwin]

That is interesting, Red, because I have minister's credentials with the Assemblies of God church. When I was young I pastored 2 Assemblies of God churches, and I was associate and assistant pastor of another Assemblies of God church for many years. I still carry credentials, but because I am past 65 years old they let me keep my credentials without fulfilling any requirements. The only requirements I have now is that I have to accept the doctrine, which I do, and I have to remain morally upright, which I had better, not only for my credentials, but to remain right before God. That is good, Red, that your daughter can go to church where she can fit in and understand what is happening. We are attending a Free Methodist Church, and it is a very good church. Our daughter who has not been in church in many years is going with us, and that is nice, also her daughter, and I am very happy that they both want to go with us. It is an encouragement!

[red]

I was attending Baptist during childhood years then Catholic when i was in high school then back to Baptist then mid 20's i encountered and read a book The Purpose Driven Life. It made me changed so much that I dreamt of God talking to me. He was interrogating me and I was crying on my knee in front of Him. I didn't see His face because it was so bright and very loud intimidating voice. He asked me what I believed in because that time I was attending catholic church so I was like in the middle of making decision whether to quit being catholic and time to find non catholic church. It was real tears because when I woke up my face was all wet with tears and so was my pillow. And I was sobbing. So following Sunday, I was looking a church to go and I found Assembly of God church and I was welcomed there. Somebody there asked me who referred me to go visit there, I just smiled (long story to tell)

[Edwin]

That is a good story, Red! God does speak to people and directs their lives. We went through that purpose driven life with the book and also the video. It was good. The church we are attending now got involved with it, but that was before we lived here. We did that with a very small group where we used to live. My grandparents were Baptists, and some of my relatives still are. When my parents found the Lord they were taught by some people who taught school on this hill, and they were Assemblies of God people, and through their direction and encouragement Mom and Dad found the Assemblies of God church in town down over the hill. That was when I was a baby carried in my mother's arms.

[jadegil6]

My parents were Baptists, so I was brought up going to the Baptist church. I feel comfortable with the Southern Baptist culture, and have remained in it all my life. My daughter is going to a Baptist University, and she is planning on becoming a Youth Minister. Although her fiance already has a degree in Graphic Art from another Univerisity, he is studying at the same school that she is to get a second degree in Theology because he wished to become a Baptist minister.
All Baptists churches are not alike. I attended the Bible Baptist church service in Cebu City, and I did not like it at all. During the two-hour service, the pastor commented that any woman who wears high heels is an abomination to God. Here in Texas at my church, about 90% of the women who attend services are wearing high heels. My daughter wears high heels at times. So it is obvious that I don't agree with that pastor's beliefs, and I would never want to become a member of the Bible Baptists in Cebu.
I did attend several different church services while I was there. I went to the Manila Baptist Church, and it was similar to services in the US, although there was one prayer that must have lasted 30 minutes which was too long for me. For those of you are unfamilier with the Baptist services, we stand up for prayers, so to stand in one place without moving for half an hour, especially in a hot climate and a crowded environment was not a pleasant experience. But in both of those churches, the people were all very friendly and wanted to know me, and invited me to come back again.
I also attended several different Catholic church services in different cities. The one in Biliran lasted 2 hours, and it was all in waray warey, so I did not understand one word. The others I went to were all in English, and lasted about one hour. The people did not try to introduce themselves or make me feel welcome in any way. The singing in the Catholic churches is so much different than in the other churches. It is more of a ritual that is repeated at every mass, whereas the singing in the other churches is more enthusiastic and varied, and seems to be more enjoyable for the church members. The Baptist church in Manila had an orchestra, as does my church here in Texas, and we have different songs each week. We always stand to sing as well as to pray.
I went to a Born Again Christian Church in Tagbiliran, and the service there was the longest service i had ever been to. It lasted 3 hours. The first 90 minutes was singing, and we were standing, and they had some musical instruments to play the music, and the singing was enjoyable, but lasted too long. It is hard to stand for 90 minutes, especially in a hot climate. The people were all so very friendly, and hoped that I enjoyed their service, and that I would come back again.
If the service in Tagbiliran would have been half as long as it was, then that would have been the church I would wish to attend again, but it was way too long. So the service at the Manila Baptist was the one that was more like the churches I go to in the US, so that would be my choice.

[red]

That dream became a turning point of my life. It was such a big relief. I became a born again Christian and everything was in good direction. God really bless those people that will call upon His name.

[Edwin]

That is really wonderful, Red, that the Lord blessed you and directed you that way. The Lord does bless the people who call on His name!

Sir Michael, that is really strange about the belief in that Baptist church about the high heels. Where we used to live a person in the valley decided that she would treat this one young lady on her eighth grade graduation, so she took her to the big city and did all kinds of nice things for her. One of the things she had done was to get her hair fixed, like styled, or something. When she returned the preacher told her that she looked like a prostitute. People get funny ideas about what other people should or should not wear. There is a term, "clothes line preaching," that tells especially the ladies what they should and should not wear, and how they should look. Before I went to school in the first grade people in the church where we attended did not wear lip stick, nor jewelry. When I went to the first grade I was scared to death of people who wore lip stick and jewelry, but I got over it!

The length of the service has always been a subject for much debate. When I was little a preacher said that any preacher delivering a sermon should, get up, speak up, and then shut up. My Dad loved to go to church and listen to sermons, but he said that 20 minutes was long enough for any sermon, and most of the people were not listening to any thing that was being said after the 20 minutes. In our church we also stand to pray, and we stand for much of the singing as well, but neither one of them last all that long. In our service the preacher has a habit of praying just before he delivers his sermon, which is always great to listen to. By that time in the church service, and taking into consideration it is still morning, and I drank my water before heading down the hill to attend church, at that time, halfway through to church service or so, I have to make a quick bathroom run. I have just enough time to walk a long hall to use the bathroom, then return to the service just as the preacher is finishing his prayer, so that works out about right for me.

Singing is great, but not everyone can stand for those long periods of time. Carol just sits down when she is tired of standing, but then you don't want to feel like the lone ranger either if everyone else is standing. I do so enjoy the church orchestras, and I was part of them with my trombone for many years, which gave me a great deal of pleasure. I like all the instruments, and I like to see more than just guitars and drums. I like the piano, the organ, other stringed instruments, brass, woodwind, and all. I think it is great when the people are enthusiastic as they are singing and worshipping the Lord.

Friendliness and welcoming is an important part of the service. If you feel that people want you there, you are more apt to return. Language is a tough one, because if you don't understantd what is going on it is more difficult to get into the spirit of the service. Of course I think you would learn quickly being immersed in that, and maybe many of the songs are the same only with foreign words, so then you can just sing the English words. If the words are not familiare then about all you can do is hum the tunes, and that is better than not being there.

[Edwin]

We did go down the hill yesterday for church, and we enjoyed being there very much. The roads were good enough that I drove faster than I usually do, so we got there a little early, picked up our daughter and granddaughter, got to the church early enough for some social time. They drink coffee between services, which I don't drink it, but I visited with them, and that was kinds of fun. We didn't know any of the songs they sang that were on the overhead. I guess they are introducing a lot of new songs, and we don't know many of them. It was communion Sunday, so we took communion right at the end of the servce. It was a good day and nice to be in church!

[red]

we were absent from church last sunday. spent time watching dvd movies with my girls.

[Edwin]

It happens every once in a while that you miss church for one reason or another. I am not sure why, but we went a number of Sundays with Carol not feeling well enough to get out of bed in the morning. The night before she would say we are going to church in the morning, but then when morning came she was just laying in bed, not feeling well enough to get out and go. But then now for a number of weeks we have gone every Sunday, and she seems to have felt better to get out of bed and be glad to go. It is nice to be able to attend church. It feels really good and uplifting for the soul and spirit.

[Edwin]

We did make the run down the hill to town to attend church. We did not know any of the songs/choruses that they were singing. One was slightly familiar, I think from the Christian radio station Positive Life. It was good service anyway, and it felt really great to be in church. The preacher had more to say about the man who had been lame for 38 years, sitting by the pool of Bethesda, waiting his turn to get into the water after the Angel troubled it. Others would always get there first, and he got beat out, losing his possible healing. The preacher talked more about him having nothing to do with his healing, but it was God's grace. The man blamed other people for his continued sickness. He said someone always beats me to the water, so I don't get healed. Jesus asked him, Will you be made whole? The man did not answer Jesus, but just told him about his problems. So Jesus told him to pick up his bed/mat, and walk. The man did it, and was healed. Jesus the same as told the man that his sickness was because of his sin. Not all sickness is because we have sinned personally, but sometimes people are sick because they have sinned. Jesus told him to go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you. The preacher talked about how that the Pharisees, the religious leaders were not happy that a man was healed, but they were mad that it was done on the Sabboth day. They had their own ideas about how to have eternal life, and they had it all figured out how far they could walk on the Sabboth day without violating God's laws. The Jews told the man, "This is the Sabboth Day, and you are not allowed to carry your bed on the Sabboth!" The man told the Jews that the man that healed him was the one who told him to take up his bed and walk. Jesus moved away from him, and didn't tell the man who He was. Jesus found the man in the Temple and told him not to sin, lest a wore thing come upon him. Then the man found the Jews and told them that Jesus had healed him. Then the Jews tried to kill Jesus because he had healed a man on the Sabboth day. Jesus told the Jews, "My Father and I both work at this!" So then they tried even harder to kill Him. They accused Jesus not only of being a Sabboth breaker,but also saying He was equal with God. Jesus also told them that the Father was not the judge, but He had given that job to Jesus, and Jesus was the judge. Jesus told them that if they didn't honor the Son, they didn't honor the Father either. Jesus told them that John the Baptist was his witness, and the Jews accpeted Jonh the Baptist, butr they rejected Him. Jesus told them that the works that He did witnessed about who He was. Jeuss told them the Scriptures testify of me. Jesus told them someone comes in his own name, and you accept them, I come in my Father's name and you reject me. Jesus told them Moses in whom you trust accuses you. He told them that if they would have believed Moses' writings they would believe in Him, because Moses wrote about Jesus. Jesus told them that if you don't believe Moses' writings, then how will you believe my words. Very interesting!