How do non-denominational Christians pick a church?

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AS for myself, when I was looking for a cj]urch, it was more than merely going through the phone book, and closing my eyes and picking one! I would go to the Lord in prayer, possibly even fasting. I have never looked for, nor was I impressed by large. ornate buildings, with stained glass windows and statues,or plush seats, and self-flushing toilets;) Don’t want to look at crosses with Jesus depicted on them either(they tookHim off of it over 2000 years ago). Many megchurches also have bookstores and coffee shops, and many other amenities, which are designed to make worshippers more comfortable. All of these things can be distracting, and then we take our focus off of Jesus. I grew up in what you might call a small “country” church, which had the most intense worship I’ve ever seen or heard. Ther are still a few of these around(THank God!) So, what matters most, where you worship, or that you worship:thumbsup:
 
Originally Posted by **Hisalone **

We will worsip God in spirit and in truth.
True worship is when Gods Spirit in us reaches out and exalts and glorifies Him.Chris Tomlin and Michael W Smith do very well at this. Gods presence is what we seek in worship to enter the very presence of God. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise. The worship of God that we give is what He has prescribed, I cant remember the quote well but John Dunne once said that God uses us as a vessel that so that it is He who worsships Him through us.
The Spirit and presence of God who I experienced visiting and living within a Trappist monastary is present when I go to a Friday night prayer metting at my pastors house.

WOW…I can’t think of anything more meaningful than worshipping God in spirit and Truth through the Catholic Mass. That is TRUE worship, as far as I am concerned.
 
peary1 said:
Originally Posted by **Hisalone **

We will worsip God in spirit and in truth.
True worship is when Gods Spirit in us reaches out and exalts and glorifies Him.Chris Tomlin and Michael W Smith do very well at this. Gods presence is what we seek in worship to enter the very presence of God. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise. The worship of God that we give is what He has prescribed, I cant remember the quote well but John Dunne once said that God uses us as a vessel that so that it is He who worsships Him through us.
The Spirit and presence of God who I experienced visiting and living within a Trappist monastary is present when I go to a Friday night prayer metting at my pastors house.

WOW…I can’t think of anything more meaningful than worshipping God in spirit and Truth through the Catholic Mass. That is TRUE worship, as far as I am concerned.
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And I totally respect your opinion of what “true” worship, and I hope you are able to do like wiae with those who worship in Spirit and Truth, outside of the catholic church!👍
 
**Originally Posted by PRmerger **
I’m not sure what you mean. Do you think it’s wrong to call a man “teacher”?
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1beleevr said:
Not at all;
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Then I don’t understand why you take the verse right before it, which says “call no man father” and understand it in a completely different way.

Either you say:
-it’s wrong to call any many father, including priests.
AND
-it’s wrong to call any man teacher, including your pastor

OR
-it’s okay to call people father, as long as you understand the Supreme Fatherhood of God
AND
-it’s okay to call people teacher, as long as you understand the Supreme Teacherhood of God. (Is “teacherhood” a word?" ;))

It makes no sense, however, to say that “call no man father” literally means what it says, but the very next verse should not be taken literally.
 
PRmerger said:
Then I don’t understand why you take the verse right before it, which says “call no man father” and understand it in a completely different way.

Either you say:
-it’s wrong to call any many father, including priests.
AND
-it’s wrong to call any man teacher, including your pastor

OR
-it’s okay to call people father, as long as you understand the Supreme Fatherhood of God
AND
-it’s okay to call people teacher, as long as you understand the Supreme Teacherhood of God. (Is “teacherhood” a word?" ;))

It makes no sense, however, to say that “call no man father” literally means what it says, but the very next verse should not be taken literally.
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I have a feeling that whoever edited the Bible, purposely capitalized Holy Father, and Teacher, to emphasize that there is no Father above our Heavenly Father! Of course we have earthly fathers, but we have but ONE Holy Father! I think of it like this: Most of us harthly fathers, as ve or had an INTIMATE relationship with our earthly fathers, much as we do with our Heavenly, or Holy Father. In the case of the pope, he appears to be "distant to a great many of his congregants, and speaks to them remotely.In this case his title of father(lower case) would be appropriate! And Teacher is also capitalized(for emphasis) showing that Christ is the Supreme Teacher!
 
1beleevr said:
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W-R-O-N-G! The priest or the sacrifice is not necessary for worship:D
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What do you mean when you say the word “worship”? It seems to me that you are using it as a catch-all term for anything at all that one does with and for God. Two people can read the Bible together, sing together, and pray together, but none of these things, by themselves, are “worship.”

“Worship” is when the believing community gathers in a holy place with a priest and offers up a sacrifice to their god.

Catholics gather at Mass with a priest who has been ordained in exactly the way given to us by Christ, to offer up Christ’s Sacrifice back to Him. 🙂
 
1beleevr said:
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I did, thank you! And these verses were about Abram, who was BLESSED by Melchizadek after his victory in war! How does this apply to worship?:confused:
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Melchizedek offered the sacrifice of bread and wine in thanksgiving for the victory won by Abraham. 🙂
 
jmcrae said:
What do you mean when you say the word “worship”? It seems to me that you are using it as a catch-all term for anything at all that one does with and for God. Two people can read the Bible together, sing together, and pray together, but none of these things, by themselves, are “worship.”

“Worship” is when the believing community gathers in a holy place with a priest and offers up a sacrifice to their god.

Catholics gather at Mass with a priest who has been ordained in exactly the way given to us by Christ, to offer up Christ’s Sacrifice back to Him. 🙂
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I think the point is, why would Jesus destroy the Jewish Temple (and place of worship) only to create a new earthly building with new earthlings to do the same basic things? In reality he was tearing down the temple to create the worship within. You experience your worship in your bag of bones, just as I do (well, in my bag of bones).
 
jmcrae said:
Melchizedek offered the sacrifice of bread and wine in thanksgiving for the victory won by Abraham. 🙂
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And he was independent of earthly oversight. He was not ordained. He was free from the law. And he was righteous.

Great example!
 
Xavierlives said:
I think the point is, why would Jesus destroy the Jewish Temple (and place of worship)
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To signify the end of the Old Covenant
only to create a new earthly building
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:confused:

Mass can take place anywhere - it’s not limited to a specific location. As long as you have a priest and a congregation, (and the right kinds of bread and wine) you can have Mass.
 
jmcrae said:
To signify the end of the Old Covenant

:confused:

Mass can take place anywhere - it’s not limited to a specific location. As long as you have a priest and a congregation, (and the right kinds of bread and wine) you can have Mass.
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Again… the temple is in your heart, not where a priest is located. The priest mentioned was independent of any organized oversight, was able to have this worship. (oh dare I say it… we are all that capable).
 
Xavierlives said:
Again… the temple is in your heart, not where a priest is located. The priest mentioned was independent of any organized oversight, was able to have this worship. (oh dare I say it… we are all that capable).
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Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus organized a Church. He set St. Peter up in charge of it. Jesus ordained Peter, just as He ordained Melchizedek (who was an archetype of Himself, offering the bread and wine at the Last Supper).

Pope Benedict XVI is the lawful successor of St. Peter. 🙂

Again, Abraham was not able, on his own authority, to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice - Melchizedek offered it, on his behalf.
 
jmcrae said:
Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus organized a Church. He set St. Peter up in charge of it. Jesus ordained Peter, just as He ordained Melchizedek (who was an archetype of Himself, offering the bread and wine at the Last Supper).

Pope Benedict XVI is the lawful successor of St. Peter. 🙂

Again, Abraham was not able, on his own authority, to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice - Melchizedek offered it, on his behalf.
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Yeah, I know the Catholics take on it. But under this logic, then the Mormons can claim this Melchizedek Priesthood because this was during a time when the “Church” did not exist. They just need to claim (as they do) they Jesus visited and ordained Joseph Smith and now they have the same authority.
 
Xavierlives said:
Yeah, I know the Catholics take on it. But under this logic, then the Mormons can claim this Melchizedek Priesthood because this was during a time when the “Church” did not exist. They just need to claim (as they do) they Jesus visited and ordained Joseph Smith and now they have the same authority.
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But they can’t prove this from scripture, nor can they really prove there was ever a great Apostisy and as far as I know they can’t even define the nature of it. Catholics can found all their claims upon the word of God, the words of the Fathers and pure history.
 
Xavierlives said:
Yeah, I know the Catholics take on it. But under this logic, then the Mormons can claim this Melchizedek Priesthood because this was during a time when the “Church” did not exist. They just need to claim (as they do) they Jesus visited and ordained Joseph Smith and now they have the same authority.
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If it were historically accurate, then they could - I don’t think they actually claim that, though, do they? And since we still have a Pope, we know that the Mormon claim of the failure of the Catholic Church isn’t historically accurate, anyway.
 
jmcrae said:
If it were historically accurate, then they could - I don’t think they actually claim that, though, do they? And since we still have a Pope, we know that the Mormon claim of the failure of the Catholic Church isn’t historically accurate, anyway.
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That is what they claim (although, yes, we do find that Joseph Smith’s claim to have been visited by both God and Jesus to be false). I don’t claim Catholics ever “lost” the authority, which Mormons do.

I think the CC still has authority, the same authority every other Christian has.
 
jmcrae said:
What do you mean when you say the word “worship”? It seems to me that you are using it as a catch-all term for anything at all that one does with and for God. Two people can read the Bible together, sing together, and pray together, but none of these things, by themselves, are “worship.”

“Worship” is when the believing community gathers in a holy place with a priest and offers up a sacrifice to their god.

Catholics gather at Mass with a priest who has been ordained in exactly the way given to us by Christ, to offer up Christ’s Sacrifice back to Him. 🙂
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As I expand worship, you shrink it, shutting out all other forms of worship! What would you classify what David was doing when he played his harp for the Lord?
 
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