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Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:35 pm
by MaxPC
appleman2006 wrote:
MaxPC wrote:
Frodo wrote:
I would like to hear about this in more detail.
Thank you for returning to the thread topic. I'm interested as well, Hats Off.
Keep in mind Max, that, and I am just guessing here, but I bet Hats off does not see what he stated as a good thing.
Thank you, Appleman. You're a good man.

I'm okay with HOs thoughts about it. It's part of the church changes people observe and that's the reason I started this thread.

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 7:52 pm
by Hats Off
I sometimes go online looking for answers and am surprised how often I find excellent answers from Catholic sources. To me that shows that in our thinking, we have never been as far from Catholic thinking as we would like to suggest.

At the same time, there are some areas of Catholic teaching that I cannot agree with and those are the areas where I think plain churches are drifting towards being more Catholic. I understand that currently the Catholic church is granting the Pope somewhat less powers, while in the plain churches, we sometimes think we see more pope-like attitudes. (it would be refreshing to see more leaders take some of the attitudes shown by the current Pope.) We have been told "Touch not the Lord's anointed" referring to how David refused to kill Saul in the cave when Saul was sleeping. This is said by church leaders when they want more obedient followers. I am left feeling at times that we have the "priestly class" and the rest of us. I get the feeling at times that we should not think - I was told once i did my son a disfavour by teaching him to think - but that we should just do as we are told. Let our leaders lead, and let the led respect and obey the leaders, the leaders should not be questioned - their word is final. I picked up a book titled "the Zombie Church" which is what we would become if we left all religious, spiritual, thinking to the ordained and the rest of us just worked or did whatever it is we have to do in addition to obeying our leaders.

We need to respect our ordained leaders - but we have better scriptures than the example of David and Saul to support this. On the other hand, our leaders need to remember the aspect of servant leadership - Jesus said "I am among you as one who serves." We can not afford an "us and them" or "leader and led" attitude in the membership. We all have a place to fill, fitly framed and joined together by that which every joint supplies.

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:17 pm
by MaxPC
Thank you for sharing, HO. I'm almost 81 and yet I still feel dissatisfaction about certain events and yes, ecclesiastical politicking that goes on in Catholic circles, so I understand your concerns over your fellowship.

When one of these moods hit me, I take my concerns to the Lord in prayer and ask God to guide our leadership. Then I focus on my own walk and how I can be a better disciple. We also pray for our Anabaptist brothers because they have an important mission to the world in the name of Christ.