Why Church? – Anonymous Responses

WHY CHURCH?

Anonymous Responses from March 16, 2014 Worship Service

1

  • Reorient personal perspectives
  • Closer relationships with other members
  • Gain scriptural knowledge in context of “community”
  • Experience God’s presence

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2

  • To keep one focused on God & blessings
  • To give one hope
  • To relate with people there
  • To feel wanted and loved (acceptance)
  • To broaden outlook on the world
  • To bring our cares and needs and share them
  • To help where we can at church and in our communities
  • To enjoy being with others
  • To remember what I think is my purpose for being here

 

3

  • Helps me get through the week
  • Look forward to see everyone and connect and share with them

 

4

  • Emotional and physical support for life’s issues

 

5

  • To be involved with people and learn about God and Jesus’ teachings.
  • We need to belong with people who believe like we do
  • I believe in what our community of Christ is teaching.

 

6

  • To learn of Christ and his teachings
  • To fellowship with other members
  • To serve in ways to help others
  • For my own spirit and happiness

 

7

  • It’s what I know
  • If I didn’t come to church, then I would not communicate with adults outside of work.  This is my family.

 

8

  • Because I believe in Jesus Christ and the mission of the church and want to support it.
  • Connecting with others in worship allows a sharing of ideas and a support network of love.
  • Hearing the morning message, singing hymns, attending Sunday school class, etc. provides spiritual inspiration and insight.
  • Attending church provides a corporate connection and avenues to provide service to the community.
  • Church lifts me up with a positive and happy message that carries me through the week.

 

9

 I believe in the savior Jesus Christ.  I trust that his message and mission are the truth.  I want to develop my spiritual understanding of His love.  I come to be uplifted by His message through His influence in the lives of others as expressed when we worship together.

 

10

Jesus came for sinners, to save them. I come to be saved.

I must believe in Jesus and the things that he did because I want to have my second life, in heaven.  I must believe that the Father raised Jesus from the dead as well.

 

11

Hmmm….Church or Shamrock Run in downtown Portland?  No question – church!  It’s a chance to be with my spiritual family, my tribe, my community, to recharge the spiritual battery that gets drained by dealing with issues in the real world and having to endure the insignificant stresses of those who lack awareness of a sense of beyond (where life is about more than what they think is important about work).

 

 

– Why Church? by Various participants during the March 16 worship

 

“Be Reconciled” – by Roberta Brown

Today’s theme (or as Erik reminded us not today’s theme but Christianity’s theme) was Be Reconciled.  During the worship, we were lead through the spiritual practice of Lecito Divina, and feasted on the words of one of our new hymns: The Weight of Past and Fruitless Guilt (Community of Christ Sings Hymn #214).   The practice lead me to engage in a much deeper way with the hymn than I would have had we simply sung through it once.  As Erik lead us through the four portions of the Lectica Devina, (Reading, Meditation, Prayer and Contemplation), I was drawn to ponder the words ‘Lift Up’ and ‘Buoyant’ from the hymn text.  As Tore Nilsen spoke about how to live in redemptive community, and Erik explained about the symbolism of eternity through circles, I was ‘lifted up.’

Today I was reminded that God lifts us up to a higher place, where we can see our brother’s and sister’s faces.  That through our experience of growing in relationship with each other, we are able to know God’s redeeming and reconciling grace that makes us whole.  In our wholeness we are brought into balance and able to embrace and recognize our own forgiving and reconciling hearts.  As a reconciling community we are able to move forward in Christ’s mission in the world.

I have faith that God will continue to lift us up, and help us draw the circle ever wider.

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Roberta

– February 16, 2014 Weekly Theme Reflection by Roberta Brown

“Be Reconciled” – by Carla Nilsen

As Erik pointed out in the welcome, this theme isn’t just the theme for today, or for this month, but for our lives as Christians.  We are to be reconciled with God and with each other.

The beautiful piano music by Susan and Annika towards the beginning of the worship service really helped to prepare me/us for worship.  Thanks!

An uplifting prayer was given by Patricia Nilsen.

As a congregation, we took extra time meditating on the Hymn #214, as we thought about forgiveness.  The phrase that spoke to me was “persistent faith unites.”

Tore Nilsen, my Pappa, gave the message.  As he walked up front behind the podium, he said that his first wife, Marge, got her wish.  She always felt that there shouldn’t be any chairs up at the front, but that the ministers should come up from the congregation, give their ministry/gift and then rejoin the congregation.  That’s the way it was today and Pappa thought that was great.

Tore read from Matthew 5: 21-24.  I will summarize what I heard him say.

When Tore was younger, it was common in our church for members to call each other “Brother Smith”, or “Sister Jones” even if they weren’t related.  He misses that because he realizes we are like family.

Reconciliation is so important.  Often people can become depressed or physically ill because they haven’t forgiven someone, or been reconciled with them.  Oftentimes the person who offended us doesn’t even know it.  We are taught to go to them and ask to be reconciled.  Do it, you’ll feel much better.
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A teacher or a priest can help with conflict resolution.  Often the pastor or an evangelist helps in these situations.  Pappa suggests that we need more training in conflict resolution: I’d agree with that.

Doctrine and Covenants 150: 12 a and b was read.

Reconciliation can only happen when we respect each other and we are open to see other’s points of view.

We ended the service by learning an awesome new hymn called “Draw the Circle Wide”.  Sofia and Annika helped me teach it.  Erik led a children’s moment talking about circles, mobius strips and about expanding our circles of love.  We sang, “Make new Friends” as we joined in a circle for a beautiful benediction by Roberta.

February 16, 2014 Weekly Theme Reflection by Carla Nilsen