No service on Easter Sunday

That sounds like a typical Roman catholic response.

Dont you think that if they were fortunate enough to have one at that point of time in history they would have cherished it enough to take it to God's house? Most poeple spend more time in their TV guide than they spend in God's Word.

 

Figures, make that harsh a statement about a church and then won't back it up with facts.

Do YOU know what this church believes?? What kind of "baptists" are you hanging around with that would slam another Pastor or neglect their faith.

BTW, I dated the son of an "Upstanding Catholic family" while I was in college (no, I was not a believer at the time..). He would go into mass, find out what the readings were and then leave, EVERY SUNDAY. That way he could honestly tell his mother he was at church and back it up by knowing what the readings were. There are hypocrites in all faiths. Take the log out of your own eye before you slam someone you don't know.

 

Yes, most Baptist churches are independent.

No, it is a mandate from the Bible, but not necessarily on Sunday. We are told to not neglect gathering with other believers.

Sure, he can study his Bible and love the Lord at the beach. The Church is people, not a building.

Not for my family, we find many new friends by visiting other Baptist churches while we are away on vacation. There is one we regularly visit while we visit family out of town. It is the norm in our church to still attend church while on vacation.

There is something in writing called "tone". I suggest you check yours in the previous posts. As for this pastor being your friend, why don't you ask HIM why he doesn't have Easter Sunday services. While I find it an important celebration (but not one required Biblically), the INDEPENDENCE of his church allows him not to have it. He MUST have a reason.

As far as my friend goes. The church was St. William's in Tewksbury, MA. For reasons of privacy, I won't give you his name.

What is the name of your friend's church????

 

JustasIam,

We go to the Atlantic Ocean for vacation regularly. In the place we go to there is a music store where I stopped one year to buy some strings for my guitar. But then I noticed an independant pentecostal type church in a converted storefront right next door. I could just sort of tell it had a great spirit about it, so later that evening...it happened to be wednesday...my wife and I visited for the mid week meeting. We were blessed big time, and now we make sure to visit every year on the wednesday when we are there for that week.

Some of the regulars even remember us every year. I told the pastor one time "Hey, this is our vacation week church. We are regular...once a year, we are here!

He got a big kick out of that!

God bless,

Mike

 

Not having church on Easter Sunday???????

That's like refusing to play in the Super Bowl when you just won the NFC championship.

 

I celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ every day of my life. We called off one of our services on Easter a couple of years ago, and we all just did something else, or visited another church.

Not really problematic at all.

By the way,(sort of off topic, but sort of on topic ) but why do we call a special day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ by the name of a pagan fertility goddess?

I'm not one of these ones who makes a big stink about it, God knows what we mean, but it just seems kind of odd.

God bless,

Mike

 

I just don't get what "trying2understand" is getting at here. I have no problem with this church not having services, I was just trying to answer your questions. As far as making me "mad" with your observations (I now understand that you aren't really looking to have questions answered after all) you aren't. Look in the mirror, I think the expectations rest with you. I have no expectations of other people's churches.

Obviously "trying2understand" isn't. I will not engage in debate for the sake of being argumentative, and that is what I feel you are doing.

If you want to DEBATE something, I might listen. Right now I feel you are just trying to be contentious.

 

Yes. That has nothing to do with it.

It's not just Easter.

No one is saying that is the only day it should be celebrated. I am simply saying that a church is eliminating one of the prime opportunities of the year to present the gospel clearly to those who may not attend church any other time of the year.

Obviously a church has the independence to forego their Easter service, but to do so is simply foolish.

 

SBCbyGrace,

What? Every person who is in a church building for the only time that year probably comes in contact with christians every day at work, at school, over the back fence at home talking with a neighbor, etc.

One does not need to be in the "special building" to recieve Christ. I never set foot in a true biblical church building for about 2 months after I was born again, after about 2-3 years of christians witnessing with me just about everywhere but at a church. At work, in a hospital waiting rooms, at a supermarket, etc.

If we have "bring them in" for a "high attendance day" at a church one Sunday, then something is very very wrong with the discipleship training and bible teaching at that church.

I am not specifically pointing the finger at your church, I know nothing of your church, but I have been a part of churches that push people constantly to "bring them in" so they can hear the gospel, and the ones I have been a aprt of are as much devoted to "churchianity" as thjey are to Christianity.

Must always have bigger numbers. Must constantly count every person and half the bugs at every opportunity so they can brag about "bigger numbers". Constantly having "high attendance days" in order for people to "hear the gospel", etc.

At one church the pastor wanted a new building. Bigger. Fancier. This was in spite of the fact that they were not filling up Sunday morning, and they were only getting a handful for sunday night and mid week.

So, he simply cancelled the sunday evening and mid week services, forcing everyone into the sunday morning one. Which, of course, forced everyone to be there at the same time, and...lo and behold...the place was full all the time.

Guess we need a "new building" now dont we?

The fund raising, and pressure to give more, started promptly

Oh well, you got me off on a pet peeve, I guess.

God bless,

Mike

 

Ps104


You are right in that I have never read my bible through even once.

You are also right to say "shame on you" concerning that fact.. In fact, I shame myself several times a week for being saved for 9 years and never fully reading the word of God. I am pretty upset with myself about that actually.

I am reading it through this year.. Im in Deuteronomy.. Im not quite on track, but it would only take a day or so catch up.. I fully intend on making it through this year.

I used to take my bible to church every week.. but, I always ended up using the pew bible anyways, so I figured I would just use the pew bible at church, and take really good notes and then go over it in my bible at home.. I never in a million years thought that I was showing indifference to God's word. I certainly didnt intend that at all.. I will prayerfully consider what you said.

 

None. Nor would anyone until years after the reformation. So much for sola scriptura prior to the reformation. </font>[/QUOTE]What in the world makes you think that sola scriptura has anything to do with carrying your Bible to church?? I hope you were joking about that. In case you are not, sola scriptura is not about carrying a Bible or even about having one. Sola Scriptura is the biblical doctrine of authority in the church. Scripture alone is the authority.

As to the topic at hand, it is beyond me why a church would cancel a week's service. Have someone fill the pulpit or arrange your vacation to be there on Sunday. And Easter Sunday of all Sundays. Historically, Easter attendance is the highest attendance of the year. A church will have more unbelievers in church on Easter Sunday than any other Sunday. Why miss the chance to preach the gospel to them?

 

It is ridiculous for a Church to shut it's doors on Easter Sunday. We of course every Sunday and every day should celebrate the Resurrection but Easter is a Special celebration and a time to reemphasize the Resurrection like no other time of the year. For the life of me I do not understand why Christians would not want a special focus on Christ Resurrection.

 

That sounds like a typical Roman catholic response.

Dont you think that if they were fortunate enough to have one at that point of time in history they would have cherished it enough to take it to God's house? Most poeple spend more time in their TV guide than they spend in God's Word. </font>[/QUOTE]It is not Roman Catholic in teh least, unless you think the church in Acts was Roman Catholic. Only the Roman Catholics think that and it takes a great rewriting of history and doctrine to sustain it.

Most people do spend more time in the TV Guide than in their Bible, but that was not the point. The point was that not carrying your Bible to church doesn't necessarily make a bad statement. It may ... it may not ... It is not necessarily either.

 

Or more time on the BB, Mostly bickering back and forth about silly things like sitting in the church parking lot, counting the number of people who carry their Bibles into the building.

 

PastorLarry,

Amen...amen...and AMEN!

Blessings,

Mike