Haha, seems almost everyone forgot about this site now that school is over. I think being Christian means being a free servant. Now, I know it's a contradiction, but bear with me. We are called to be like Jesus Christ, who was a servant of God's will and acted like a servant to others. We are freed from our sins and original fates as walking dead men and turned into men who have a purpose on this earth.
Well some haven't forgotten. You guys will just have to remind every one when you get back to school.
And here (with not enough thought I think but it'll have to do) is my (incomplete) answer:
For me, to be Christian means not how much faith you have but putting what faith you do have in the most reliable faithful Someone there ever was or ever will be.
For me, being Christian means saying along with the father of the demon-possessed son, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
For me, for now being Christian means anticipating persecution and enduring it when it comes because that is what Jesus promised.
For me, it means learning joy in suffering and praising God's name when everything is going to hell. Like Job and Jesus and Paul and scores of others.
For me, it is God saying to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
For me, it means failing God every day but knowing that God forgives and it is all in His capable hands.
Christian What does the above word mean to you? Think before you type.
Then think again. What does it really mean to you?
For me it is quite simple. It is someone who believes that Jesus Christ walked the earth, died for our sins, was resurrected from the dead and because of that saved us all. It is the belief in the holy trinity. Everything else is overcomplicating things and labels.
You have to understand that we view our entire view of Christianity through an a very warped lens. Our entire culture is based upon this Western Evangelical Christian Protestant reformist theory, or Catholism, and that stretches out to all the ministry in Korea and Africa and South America as well.
When you say Christian, what do you mean? Distance from your culture. Is God Baptist? Presbyterian? Methodist? Lutheran? He is Transcendent. He surpasses and crosses all borders and is among us all.
We have to think in an Eastern Orthodox perspective view to have a fully educated view. Orthodox means the truth, the true essence of Christianity after the Pentecost and before the Schism between the Catholic Church. They still adhere to the Saints and Augustine. But contrarily, they consider the Holy Spirit to be an active participation in church activities, not just a passive embodiment, which is western philosophy. This forces the believer to take personal responsibility: Salvation is not automatic, it is through a process.
What I am trying to say is: each of our theologies and cultural backgrounds are far too diverse for ourselves to box ourselves in and restrict ourselves with labels and denominations. There are elements of every denomination that display true Christianity.
The problem with modern American Evangelical Christianity, with Megachurches, Christian Fellowships and Bible Studies is the emphasis has become far too much on the individual and catering to the individual. The church has become so intertwined with the culture and has become a community event. It sounds overly harsh and it is, any type of Christian is great, and Church is fantastic, but this is why the youth is straying from it. Baptists often simply say "Go study the Bible" and interpret it for your self. However we are not classically trained to do this at a doctoral level, nor do we know the historical context. First and foremost, the Bible is a historical document, so for a bible study group to sit around and simply read passages and absorb it, it is legalistic interpretation and not true faith. It is in a sense a bastardization of the original concepts of the Jewish Rabbi teaching at the synagogue, with misinformed people, spreading misinformed teachings. While reading the Holy Word is fantastic, it is completely out of context, like reading about Mt. Everest without knowing what a mountain is. I apologize, if this so far is offending anyone. And yet, the beautiful thing about protestant services is that sense of community, where you feel perfectly at home. It mentions in the Bible that we are one in the Body in Christ in the church, and that is through fellowship. It is not mean to be a solitary act.
In comparison, Catholic church has an incredibly educated priest do sermons that are incredibly planned out and are rooted in scripture. Often times with Pentecostal and Megachurches, the word is lost in theatrics and histrionics. Furthermore, church is a place to worship, a place to respect, not a place to be entertained, not a place to go on auto pilot. That is the danger with people choosing churches, they have a shopping mall mentality and go where they are comfortable, and not challenged.
However, the problem with Catholic church and the reason for the Protestant Reformation is the rituals, which can obscure the actual faith. By sitting up, sitting down, reciting memorized prayer over and over, it becomes autopilot, and the faith is lost. Often times, Americans do it as a status symbol and go on Easter and Christmas and that's it. There are genuine Catholics, and the rituals possess deep meaning, with confession, sacraments, prayers, etc, but you can fall into a trap.
Conversely, at Megachurches, you can also fall into the same trap. See if you are going to church or AACF or Men's Small group for the right reasons. Again, I want to emphasize that these are great things, but go for the right reasons Often times, people just go for the social events, and then the faith is lost. The theatrics and the histrionics, the political views, the American culture, and even broader, the Western Protestant culture can ultimately make the sermon, devoid of historical context or scripture references meaningless. Again, if you go to church, do not be discouraged, its still a wonderful thing to go, and be a Christian, better that than to not be one, but it's something to think about.
Faith is complex. God is not. He is Ultimate, beyond human comprehension, therefore beyond any of our borders. We shouldn't box ourselves in then. If you were a philosophy major, would you call yourself a Stoic? or Epicurean? No, of course not, you would have elements of every philosophy affecting your viewpoints. Keep an open mind, and be aware of your vocabulary, don't use Western Vocabulary to describe your faith. Merely Christian. There is something wonderful about faith when you take the limiters that is human religion off and set your brilliant mind free. Live a life glorifying God in all that you do. Keep reading the Bible, it isn't harmful, but educate yourself first, learn what the mountain is before you study the Mt.Everest. God is amazing, his love is eternal and binding, he loves us when we spit on him, when we run from him, he chases after us, when we fall he picks us up, he is our graceful, ever-loving, omniscient, omnipotent Father Almighty. Praise Him.
"If you're obeying the Word, commands, and Spirit of God, you can know--even if it's with sadness and confusion at times--that you're safely in the will of God." -YPS
Please correct me if any of this is incorrect! And I'm sorry if I rubbed anyone the wrong way, I did not intend to offend! I know this is long winded, but this is my view points, please respond.
mr. accident...I was actually going to write something like this...but you've done it for me! lol
"Christian"...the first thing that comes to mind are fairly typical. The cross, Jesus (complete with beard), rays of light, music, prayer.
I think honestly though, in today's culture Christianity can mean many things. A system of beliefs (religion), a certain moral code, a political ideology, a social group, the list goes on and on. There are many different denominations, theologies, traditions, and styles of worship. Everything from 7th day Adventists to Eastern Orthodox is legit though not perfect.
Like accident said, strip the cultural influences away and religious traditions, then Christianity is merely just believing and ACCEPTING that Jesus, being apart of the Trinity, is the Son sent by the Father to save us from our sins and re-establish a connection with God. That's it really. That is the core of Message of the Messiah...Christos...Christian.
I think that the diversity of styles of worship and denominations is great, so long as we don't take each one out of context. The bible itself is diverse in the language it's written in, and Jesus didn't just preach to the oppressed Jews. As long as we realize that our worship is imperfect and prone to failure then we can further rely on God for his grace to sort out our imperfections.
***personally for me, Christian means hope, a light, a journey, a relationship...love. It is through love that Jesus came and saved us, and ultimately love, in the many forms it comes in, that keeps the world going.
"God gave me the serenity to accept the things that I can't change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two."
"I am too positive to be doubtful. Too optimistic to be fearful. And too determined to be defeated."
"You never know how strong you are...until being strong is the only choice you have."
"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
Haha, seems almost everyone forgot about this site now that school is over. I think being Christian means being a free servant. Now, I know it's a contradiction, but bear with me. We are called to be like Jesus Christ, who was a servant of God's will and acted like a servant to others. We are freed from our sins and original fates as walking dead men and turned into men who have a purpose on this earth.
ReplyDeleteobeyer of God
ReplyDeleteim still thinking!!!
ReplyDeleteWell some haven't forgotten. You guys will just have to remind every one when you get back to school.
ReplyDeleteAnd here (with not enough thought I think but it'll have to do) is my (incomplete) answer:
For me, to be Christian means not how much faith you have but putting what faith you do have in the most reliable faithful Someone there ever was or ever will be.
For me, being Christian means saying along with the father of the demon-possessed son, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
For me, for now being Christian means anticipating persecution and enduring it when it comes because that is what Jesus promised.
For me, it means learning joy in suffering and praising God's name when everything is going to hell. Like Job and Jesus and Paul and scores of others.
For me, it is God saying to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
For me, it means failing God every day but knowing that God forgives and it is all in His capable hands.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChristian
ReplyDeleteWhat does the above word mean to you? Think before you type.
Then think again. What does it really mean to you?
For me it is quite simple. It is someone who believes that Jesus Christ walked the earth, died for our sins, was resurrected from the dead and because of that saved us all. It is the belief in the holy trinity. Everything else is overcomplicating things and labels.
You have to understand that we view our entire view of Christianity through an a very warped lens. Our entire culture is based upon this Western Evangelical Christian Protestant reformist theory, or Catholism, and that stretches out to all the ministry in Korea and Africa and South America as well.
When you say Christian, what do you mean? Distance from your culture. Is God Baptist? Presbyterian? Methodist? Lutheran? He is Transcendent. He surpasses and crosses all borders and is among us all.
We have to think in an Eastern Orthodox perspective view to have a fully educated view. Orthodox means the truth, the true essence of Christianity after the Pentecost and before the Schism between the Catholic Church. They still adhere to the Saints and Augustine. But contrarily, they consider the Holy Spirit to be an active participation in church activities, not just a passive embodiment, which is western philosophy. This forces the believer to take personal responsibility: Salvation is not automatic, it is through a process.
What I am trying to say is: each of our theologies and cultural backgrounds are far too diverse for ourselves to box ourselves in and restrict ourselves with labels and denominations. There are elements of every denomination that display true Christianity.
The problem with modern American Evangelical Christianity, with Megachurches, Christian Fellowships and Bible Studies is the emphasis has become far too much on the individual and catering to the individual. The church has become so intertwined with the culture and has become a community event. It sounds overly harsh and it is, any type of Christian is great, and Church is fantastic, but this is why the youth is straying from it. Baptists often simply say "Go study the Bible" and interpret it for your self. However we are not classically trained to do this at a doctoral level, nor do we know the historical context. First and foremost, the Bible is a historical document, so for a bible study group to sit around and simply read passages and absorb it, it is legalistic interpretation and not true faith. It is in a sense a bastardization of the original concepts of the Jewish Rabbi teaching at the synagogue, with misinformed people, spreading misinformed teachings. While reading the Holy Word is fantastic, it is completely out of context, like reading about Mt. Everest without knowing what a mountain is. I apologize, if this so far is offending anyone. And yet, the beautiful thing about protestant services is that sense of community, where you feel perfectly at home. It mentions in the Bible that we are one in the Body in Christ in the church, and that is through fellowship. It is not mean to be a solitary act.
In comparison, Catholic church has an incredibly educated priest do sermons that are incredibly planned out and are rooted in scripture. Often times with Pentecostal and Megachurches, the word is lost in theatrics and histrionics. Furthermore, church is a place to worship, a place to respect, not a place to be entertained, not a place to go on auto pilot. That is the danger with people choosing churches, they have a shopping mall mentality and go where they are comfortable, and not challenged.
However, the problem with Catholic church and the reason for the Protestant Reformation is the rituals, which can obscure the actual faith. By sitting up, sitting down, reciting memorized prayer over and over, it becomes autopilot, and the faith is lost. Often times, Americans do it as a status symbol and go on Easter and Christmas and that's it. There are genuine Catholics, and the rituals possess deep meaning, with confession, sacraments, prayers, etc, but you can fall into a trap.
ReplyDeleteConversely, at Megachurches, you can also fall into the same trap. See if you are going to church or AACF or Men's Small group for the right reasons. Again, I want to emphasize that these are great things, but go for the right reasons Often times, people just go for the social events, and then the faith is lost. The theatrics and the histrionics, the political views, the American culture, and even broader, the Western Protestant culture can ultimately make the sermon, devoid of historical context or scripture references meaningless. Again, if you go to church, do not be discouraged, its still a wonderful thing to go, and be a Christian, better that than to not be one, but it's something to think about.
Faith is complex. God is not. He is Ultimate, beyond human comprehension, therefore beyond any of our borders. We shouldn't box ourselves in then. If you were a philosophy major, would you call yourself a Stoic? or Epicurean? No, of course not, you would have elements of every philosophy affecting your viewpoints. Keep an open mind, and be aware of your vocabulary, don't use Western Vocabulary to describe your faith. Merely Christian. There is something wonderful about faith when you take the limiters that is human religion off and set your brilliant mind free. Live a life glorifying God in all that you do. Keep reading the Bible, it isn't harmful, but educate yourself first, learn what the mountain is before you study the Mt.Everest. God is amazing, his love is eternal and binding, he loves us when we spit on him, when we run from him, he chases after us, when we fall he picks us up, he is our graceful, ever-loving, omniscient, omnipotent Father Almighty. Praise Him.
"If you're obeying the Word, commands, and Spirit of God, you can know--even if it's with sadness and confusion at times--that you're safely in the will of God." -YPS
Please correct me if any of this is incorrect! And I'm sorry if I rubbed anyone the wrong way, I did not intend to offend! I know this is long winded, but this is my view points, please respond.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletemr. accident...I was actually going to write something like this...but you've done it for me! lol
ReplyDelete"Christian"...the first thing that comes to mind are fairly typical. The cross, Jesus (complete with beard), rays of light, music, prayer.
I think honestly though, in today's culture Christianity can mean many things. A system of beliefs (religion), a certain moral code, a political ideology, a social group, the list goes on and on. There are many different denominations, theologies, traditions, and styles of worship. Everything from 7th day Adventists to Eastern Orthodox is legit though not perfect.
Like accident said, strip the cultural influences away and religious traditions, then Christianity is merely just believing and ACCEPTING that Jesus, being apart of the Trinity, is the Son sent by the Father to save us from our sins and re-establish a connection with God. That's it really. That is the core of Message of the Messiah...Christos...Christian.
I think that the diversity of styles of worship and denominations is great, so long as we don't take each one out of context. The bible itself is diverse in the language it's written in, and Jesus didn't just preach to the oppressed Jews. As long as we realize that our worship is imperfect and prone to failure then we can further rely on God for his grace to sort out our imperfections.
***personally for me, Christian means hope, a light, a journey, a relationship...love. It is through love that Jesus came and saved us, and ultimately love, in the many forms it comes in, that keeps the world going.