Comments for Mostly All There http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com Relaxing my tenuous grip on sanity Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:48:05 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Why I can’t do church any more by Matt Porter (Seriously) http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/why-i-cant-do-church-any-more/#comment-103 Matt Porter (Seriously) Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:48:05 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=73#comment-103 Matt, I have to admit I was googling my own name (Matt Porter) and stumbled on your blog. Even more interesting is the fact that I feel like you have written my own spiritual journey in your post here. It sounds like we may have grown up in similar situations. Maybe we were twins separated at birth? HA! I planted a church about a year ago with many of the same convictions you have. I think you've had a breakthrough spiritually. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Even more interesting...I am in the middle of sermon prep for a message this coming weekend and I was recounting my troubled journey as I was writing. I feel like you read my notes. Don't know how you'd feel about connecting over email. I know you've got some frustration so no biggie if you're not up for it yet. But I think you're on the right track from what I've read here. I'm really curious where you are from and what denomination. Hope to hear from you! Matt Matt,
I have to admit I was googling my own name (Matt Porter) and stumbled on your blog. Even more interesting is the fact that I feel like you have written my own spiritual journey in your post here. It sounds like we may have grown up in similar situations. Maybe we were twins separated at birth? HA!

I planted a church about a year ago with many of the same convictions you have. I think you’ve had a breakthrough spiritually. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Even more interesting…I am in the middle of sermon prep for a message this coming weekend and I was recounting my troubled journey as I was writing. I feel like you read my notes.

Don’t know how you’d feel about connecting over email. I know you’ve got some frustration so no biggie if you’re not up for it yet. But I think you’re on the right track from what I’ve read here.

I’m really curious where you are from and what denomination.

Hope to hear from you!

Matt

]]> Comment on Commencement by Lisa Gutierrez http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/commencement/#comment-102 Lisa Gutierrez Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:03:55 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=76#comment-102 I'm not sure why I keep checking this. I suppose you'll send out a memo if you ever have anything else to say - ?? I’m not sure why I keep checking this. I suppose you’ll send out a memo if you ever have anything else to say – ??

]]> Comment on Celebrating a fictional legacy by paarsurrey http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/celebrating-a-fictional-legacy/#comment-101 paarsurrey Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:44:18 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/celebrating-a-fictional-legacy/#comment-101 Hi Please don’t mind. This might interest you. The SecondComing of Jesus has already happened in the form of the PromisedMessiah 1835-1908 fullfilling the signs as prophesised by Jesus and Muhammad. In my opinion, the Christians, Muslims and Jews should accept him. Kindly visit my blog for interesting posts in this connection for your peaceful comments and or discussions on the pages/posts there. Differing opinions are also welcome. Thanks I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim Hi

Please don’t mind. This might interest you.

The SecondComing of Jesus has already happened in the form of the PromisedMessiah 1835-1908 fullfilling the signs as prophesised by Jesus and Muhammad. In my opinion, the Christians, Muslims and Jews should accept him.

Kindly visit my blog for interesting posts in this connection for your peaceful comments and or discussions on the pages/posts there. Differing opinions are also welcome.

Thanks

I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim

]]> Comment on Commencement by Lisa Gutierrez http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/commencement/#comment-100 Lisa Gutierrez Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:22:40 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=76#comment-100 "blogging hiatus" - ?? “blogging hiatus” – ??

]]> Comment on Commencement by Lisa Gutierrez http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/commencement/#comment-99 Lisa Gutierrez Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:25:32 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=76#comment-99 Sounds like you were all by your little lonesome too if you were playing solitaire. :D Sounds like you were all by your little lonesome too if you were playing solitaire.

:D

]]> Comment on Commencement by Matt Porter http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/commencement/#comment-98 Matt Porter Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:35:44 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=76#comment-98 I'm impressed you guys are up so late commenting on my blog. :) And that I happened to be playing solitaire when it came through. And Allison graduated. All by her little lonesome. I’m impressed you guys are up so late commenting on my blog. :) And that I happened to be playing solitaire when it came through.

And Allison graduated. All by her little lonesome.

]]> Comment on Commencement by Lisa Gutierrez http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/commencement/#comment-97 Lisa Gutierrez Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:33:11 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=76#comment-97 Victor says this was a very mellow post. :) *I* say I'm impressed that someone managed to use that quote in a reasonable way! I was just going to ask which were the things you will miss, but I glanced back up and saw that you said you'll have to figure that out over time. Good luck with that. And don't move toooooo soon. We want to see you guys in Aug. Oh - who graduated? I can't think straight about who was what year. Victor says this was a very mellow post. :) *I* say I’m impressed that someone managed to use that quote in a reasonable way! I was just going to ask which were the things you will miss, but I glanced back up and saw that you said you’ll have to figure that out over time. Good luck with that. And don’t move toooooo soon. We want to see you guys in Aug. Oh – who graduated? I can’t think straight about who was what year.

]]> Comment on Another links post, and some other stuff by Lisa Gutierrez http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/another-links-post-and-some-other-stuff/#comment-95 Lisa Gutierrez Sat, 31 May 2008 03:50:12 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=75#comment-95 Lovely. :) Took me a good bit of time to get through *some* of your links tonight, in between feeding and pj-ing and putting-to-bed of younguns... Still looking forward to "Answers: Part 2" in my email inbox. :) Hope you guys have a good weekend. Lovely. :) Took me a good bit of time to get through *some* of your links tonight, in between feeding and pj-ing and putting-to-bed of younguns… Still looking forward to “Answers: Part 2″ in my email inbox. :) Hope you guys have a good weekend.

]]> Comment on Why I can’t do church any more by Jonathan Morris http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/why-i-cant-do-church-any-more/#comment-94 Jonathan Morris Tue, 27 May 2008 06:51:05 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=73#comment-94 Matt, I never really got to know you or anything, but I can tell you as a missionary/pastor's kid who grew up knowing and playing the "good little Christian Missionary Kid act that I sympathize with what you are going through. I can tell you in my Christian struggles that I have tried the "forget church" approach (basically for your reasons), the "liberal Baptist Church" approach (thought maybe they'd be more accepting/loving) and the "church hunting-until-I-find-the-perfect-church" approach (bet you can guess how that went) and at the end of the day I have learned that the problem is simply that everyone else is just as wicked as me; even the leaders, and when they end up in a group, ie. church congregation, they do not magically become spiritual giants devoid of all evil and inspired to impart their principles without much if any Scripture to back them up. (Although they try) But, I think you will find that joining your new "church of the people fed up with church" (and I don't mean any disrespect by that slogan) that you will find, that group is just as hypocritical, bitter, judgmental, un-happy, etc. as the "blessed church-goers" are. So, in the end, I have decided unapologetically just to be myself in a church filled with other wicked sinners just like me. (By the way, I don't have ANY friends at church, not yet anyway.) The only difference is I am much happier knowing that when others sit around and judge each other or gasp that a woman dared to wear pants on Saturday when she comes to clean toilets it is isn't for any other reason than because they like me are just plain old wicked people. God established the local churches as evident throughout the New Testament, but as I'm sure you know they were filled with the same judgmental, hypocritical, perverted sins and wicked attitudes as we must deal with today. However, God thought they were worth saving/correcting, so He inspired much of the New Testament to be written as letters to these churches. I wish you the best on your journey, I know that I am no better than you, in fact, if we sat down and compared sin I'd probably have you beat, but the beauty is that God doesn't keep score, so I try not to either...as best I can. The only absolutely problematic thing with leaving church, is you cease to be able to be a good influence or a source of encouragement to the silent majority that probably feels the same as you. I am not advocating creating dissention or spreading bitterness in church, but honest conversation about what we as humans and wicked sinners-but-saved-by-grace-Christians really feel is probably the perfect blend of Chicken Soup for each other’s souls. As far as Versions of the Bible or complicated doctrines are concerned, I will not opine as it will do no good, but I will say I try I to be careful and not let Satan trick me into throwing the Baby out with the bath water. One final thought. I have involuntarily gone 7-8 months without going to church during two separate periods of my life due to deploying to Iraq and I can tell you did not do wonders for my Spiritual life. At least while sitting through boring genealogies, I occasionally had good morsels of Spiritual food to keep me from completely starving (cliché I know, but it has some truth to it at least in my experience). Well, I'll stop now, and promise to pray at least once for all Christians and churches to better reflect God's amazing love and forgiveness. The bloody, tortuous Cross my Savior was crucified to for me to one day enjoy Heaven for ever is enough to at keep me trying, searching for answers and being grateful for whatever I get out of this life. Jonathan Matt,
I never really got to know you or anything, but I can tell you as a missionary/pastor’s kid who grew up knowing and playing the “good little Christian Missionary Kid act that I sympathize with what you are going through. I can tell you in my Christian struggles that I have tried the “forget church” approach (basically for your reasons), the “liberal Baptist Church” approach (thought maybe they’d be more accepting/loving) and the “church hunting-until-I-find-the-perfect-church” approach (bet you can guess how that went) and at the end of the day I have learned that the problem is simply that everyone else is just as wicked as me; even the leaders, and when they end up in a group, ie. church congregation, they do not magically become spiritual giants devoid of all evil and inspired to impart their principles without much if any Scripture to back them up. (Although they try) But, I think you will find that joining your new “church of the people fed up with church” (and I don’t mean any disrespect by that slogan) that you will find, that group is just as hypocritical, bitter, judgmental, un-happy, etc. as the “blessed church-goers” are. So, in the end, I have decided unapologetically just to be myself in a church filled with other wicked sinners just like me. (By the way, I don’t have ANY friends at church, not yet anyway.) The only difference is I am much happier knowing that when others sit around and judge each other or gasp that a woman dared to wear pants on Saturday when she comes to clean toilets it is isn’t for any other reason than because they like me are just plain old wicked people. God established the local churches as evident throughout the New Testament, but as I’m sure you know they were filled with the same judgmental, hypocritical, perverted sins and wicked attitudes as we must deal with today. However, God thought they were worth saving/correcting, so He inspired much of the New Testament to be written as letters to these churches. I wish you the best on your journey, I know that I am no better than you, in fact, if we sat down and compared sin I’d probably have you beat, but the beauty is that God doesn’t keep score, so I try not to either…as best I can. The only absolutely problematic thing with leaving church, is you cease to be able to be a good influence or a source of encouragement to the silent majority that probably feels the same as you. I am not advocating creating dissention or spreading bitterness in church, but honest conversation about what we as humans and wicked sinners-but-saved-by-grace-Christians really feel is probably the perfect blend of Chicken Soup for each other’s souls. As far as Versions of the Bible or complicated doctrines are concerned, I will not opine as it will do no good, but I will say I try I to be careful and not let Satan trick me into throwing the Baby out with the bath water. One final thought. I have involuntarily gone 7-8 months without going to church during two separate periods of my life due to deploying to Iraq and I can tell you did not do wonders for my Spiritual life. At least while sitting through boring genealogies, I occasionally had good morsels of Spiritual food to keep me from completely starving (cliché I know, but it has some truth to it at least in my experience). Well, I’ll stop now, and promise to pray at least once for all Christians and churches to better reflect God’s amazing love and forgiveness. The bloody, tortuous Cross my Savior was crucified to for me to one day enjoy Heaven for ever is enough to at keep me trying, searching for answers and being grateful for whatever I get out of this life.
Jonathan

]]> Comment on Why I can’t do church any more by Alexandra Swensen http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/why-i-cant-do-church-any-more/#comment-93 Alexandra Swensen Sun, 25 May 2008 22:48:43 +0000 http://mostlyallthere.wordpress.com/?p=73#comment-93 A STANDING OVATION!!!! I'm so there..and so done too. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for putting into word what I've been thinking and feeling for a few years now. God Bless You..and He does! A STANDING OVATION!!!! I’m so there..and so done too. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for putting into word what I’ve been thinking and feeling for a few years now. God Bless You..and He does!

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