Ernie wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2024 7:35 pm
Where are all the Catholics and Protestants and people who want to be EO?
I picked "other".
We are not fitting well in any one denomination. Maybe suffer from overexposure in pursuit of truth. It's okay in a way as I know God is Sovereign, Jesus is Lord, and we trust the Gospel. However wherever we go, we hear teaching that we just have to realize- it's different than other teachings- we have to bite our tongues unless we are in an environment where people have not dug their heels in.
We go to a non-denominational but most "identify" with a Church (Oasis Tabernacle in Sugarcreek) yet anywhere there will be those with perhaps assumptions.
We pursued Anabaptism and EO. For awhile.
And I'm the other "other"
I was quite active for a few years in our local MB church although I never became an official member. Their main attraction, to me, was their evangelical practises that reaches beyond their ethnic backgound. Since participating in MennoNet I was quite surprised at what I understand to be a lack of active and productive evangelism outside the Mennonite ethnicity. If this is what is most common in churches that call themselves Anabaptists, then I would not want to be labellled as an Anabaptist as evangelism has been more important to me than issues like women pastors, clothing styles, rules and some other Anabaptist practises.
The evangelism experiences I have been involved were in Pentecostal, Evangelical Baptist, Salvation Army and Mennonite Brethren. None of these groups define what my personal beliefs are but all had an evangelistic emphasis. I will have fellowship with any Christian church believers if they care to have fellowship with me. If I do return to being active in a local church again, it will be one that gives a high priority to reaching the lost and being very involved in both the social and spiritual needs of others. Those churches that are primarily about their own holiness and staying away from all worldly influence is not the way I understand following Jesus. To me, that is self centered religion focused on who is the most set apart from the world.
ohio jones wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 11:18 pm
It's interesting that your posts here are filled with The Understanding you received from the Orthodox. A little from Parkside, rarely a passing mention of Oasis and their beliefs. You frequently complain about lack of unity in the church, yet those two are among the worst offenders. It can be confusing to know which of you is posting sometimes.
But we love you both.
Well after spending a great deal of time and though responding to this my post vanished. Maybe it was meant for me to just work this out from my soul and spare you the ponderings.
It has been helpful OJ to learn because as you know, every denomination can have misunderstandings and disagreements about/with the others
How can you not desire unity when you know how much it means to Jesus as a witness of the Church?
What do you suggest? The Orthodox will not seek unity if they are told they have to drop ancient interpretations. To embrace them which denominations? The footnotes in my Orthodox Bible are often quotes of early Church writers. How are they to assume in order to have unity they will have to embrace interpretations from Reformation era and whose would they choose?
I know how Anabaptists feel about Pentecostals so no unity can happen there and certainly Evangelicals are looked down on here- so do you feel Anabaptists in general are more willing to seek unity with these others? Since you feel "they" don't seek unity?
Valerie, I understand your posts and I appreciate your openness regarding unity. Indeed they remind me of the desires of different theologians through the centuries, e.g. Peter Meiderlin, a Lutheran theologian:
“If we might keep in necessary things Unity, in unnecessary things Freedom, and in both Charity, our affairs would certainly be in the best condition.”
Interestingly this quote speaks to the diversity found in Christianity from its beginnings by the very fact that many different cultures came to Christ through the Apostles and formed their own fellowship communities. From my experiences:
The Message of The Way is the Necessary, Essential, Non-negotiable Truth that cannot be altered upon pain of eternal damnation.
The Unnecessary things are those that are the differences between cultures that do not change The Message.
Charity or extending grace is how we are to conduct our discipleship in our interactions with others as not every individual has the same maturity, the same education, the same culture, etc.
Such are my rambling thoughts.
Ernie wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2024 7:35 pm
Where are all the Catholics and Protestants and people who want to be EO?
I picked "other".
We are not fitting well in any one denomination. Maybe suffer from overexposure in pursuit of truth. It's okay in a way as I know God is Sovereign, Jesus is Lord, and we trust the Gospel. However wherever we go, we hear teaching that we just have to realize- it's different than other teachings- we have to bite our tongues unless we are in an environment where people have not dug their heels in.
We go to a non-denominational but most "identify" with a Church (Oasis Tabernacle in Sugarcreek) yet anywhere there will be those with perhaps assumptions.
We pursued Anabaptism and EO. For awhile.
And I'm the other "other"
I was quite active for a few years in our local MB church although I never became an official member. Their main attraction, to me, was their evangelical practises that reaches beyond their ethnic backgound. Since participating in MennoNet I was quite surprised at what I understand to be a lack of active and productive evangelism outside the Mennonite ethnicity. If this is what is most common in churches that call themselves Anabaptists, then I would not want to be labellled as an Anabaptist as evangelism has been more important to me than issues like women pastors, clothing styles, rules and some other Anabaptist practises.
The evangelism experiences I have been involved were in Pentecostal, Evangelical Baptist, Salvation Army and Mennonite Brethren. None of these groups define what my personal beliefs are but all had an evangelistic emphasis. I will have fellowship with any Christian church believers if they care to have fellowship with me. If I do return to being active in a local church again, it will be one that gives a high priority to reaching the lost and being very involved in both the social and spiritual needs of others. Those churches that are primarily about their own holiness and staying away from all worldly influence is not the way I understand following Jesus. To me, that is self centered religion focused on who is the most set apart from the world.
To me a self centered religion might look like someone who thinks so highly of their own bespoke interpretation and opinions that, dispite living in an era and area of abundant churches, still cannot find the humility and wherewithal to ever join one. A self centered religious person might refuse to humble himself to the degree necessary to simply get along with and respect what his fellow Christians beliefs are enough to cast his lot with anyone, and instead think more highly of himself than he ought to think and freelance his way through life. He is driven with the wind, and tossed about.
This person might promote a “saving gospel” or “evangelism” all the while denying that anything will ever actually put anyone’s salvation to the test at all. Thus, bringing into question what, in fact, they are being saved from or into.
I picked "other".
We are not fitting well in any one denomination. Maybe suffer from overexposure in pursuit of truth. It's okay in a way as I know God is Sovereign, Jesus is Lord, and we trust the Gospel. However wherever we go, we hear teaching that we just have to realize- it's different than other teachings- we have to bite our tongues unless we are in an environment where people have not dug their heels in.
We go to a non-denominational but most "identify" with a Church (Oasis Tabernacle in Sugarcreek) yet anywhere there will be those with perhaps assumptions.
We pursued Anabaptism and EO. For awhile.
And I'm the other "other"
I was quite active for a few years in our local MB church although I never became an official member. Their main attraction, to me, was their evangelical practises that reaches beyond their ethnic backgound. Since participating in MennoNet I was quite surprised at what I understand to be a lack of active and productive evangelism outside the Mennonite ethnicity. If this is what is most common in churches that call themselves Anabaptists, then I would not want to be labellled as an Anabaptist as evangelism has been more important to me than issues like women pastors, clothing styles, rules and some other Anabaptist practises.
The evangelism experiences I have been involved were in Pentecostal, Evangelical Baptist, Salvation Army and Mennonite Brethren. None of these groups define what my personal beliefs are but all had an evangelistic emphasis. I will have fellowship with any Christian church believers if they care to have fellowship with me. If I do return to being active in a local church again, it will be one that gives a high priority to reaching the lost and being very involved in both the social and spiritual needs of others. Those churches that are primarily about their own holiness and staying away from all worldly influence is not the way I understand following Jesus. To me, that is self centered religion focused on who is the most set apart from the world.
To me a self centered religion might look like someone who thinks so highly of their own bespoke interpretation and opinions that, dispite living in an era and area of abundant churches, still cannot find the humility and wherewithal to ever join one. A self centered religious person might refuse to humble himself to the degree necessary to simply get along with and respect what his fellow Christians beliefs are enough to cast his lot with anyone, and instead think more highly of himself than he ought to think and freelance his way through life. He is driven with the wind, and tossed about.
This person might promote a “saving gospel” or “evangelism” all the while denying that anything will ever actually put anyone’s salvation to the test at all. Thus, bringing into question what, in fact, they are being saved from or into.
I was quite active for a few years in our local MB church although I never became an official member. Their main attraction, to me, was their evangelical practises that reaches beyond their ethnic backgound. Since participating in MennoNet I was quite surprised at what I understand to be a lack of active and productive evangelism outside the Mennonite ethnicity. If this is what is most common in churches that call themselves Anabaptists, then I would not want to be labellled as an Anabaptist as evangelism has been more important to me than issues like women pastors, clothing styles, rules and some other Anabaptist practises.
The evangelism experiences I have been involved were in Pentecostal, Evangelical Baptist, Salvation Army and Mennonite Brethren. None of these groups define what my personal beliefs are but all had an evangelistic emphasis. I will have fellowship with any Christian church believers if they care to have fellowship with me. If I do return to being active in a local church again, it will be one that gives a high priority to reaching the lost and being very involved in both the social and spiritual needs of others. Those churches that are primarily about their own holiness and staying away from all worldly influence is not the way I understand following Jesus. To me, that is self centered religion focused on who is the most set apart from the world.
To me a self centered religion might look like someone who thinks so highly of their own bespoke interpretation and opinions that, dispite living in an era and area of abundant churches, still cannot find the humility and wherewithal to ever join one. A self centered religious person might refuse to humble himself to the degree necessary to simply get along with and respect what his fellow Christians beliefs are enough to cast his lot with anyone, and instead think more highly of himself than he ought to think and freelance his way through life. He is driven with the wind, and tossed about.
This person might promote a “saving gospel” or “evangelism” all the while denying that anything will ever actually put anyone’s salvation to the test at all. Thus, bringing into question what, in fact, they are being saved from or into.
Josh wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 12:52 pm
I assume non-plain conservative means evangelical but not wearing skirts, head coverings, or holding to nonresistance
I am unclear on what exactly Old Order would mean. My own group is a mixture of plain and Old Order (for example, we don't tolerate Bible studies or prayer meetings)
The comment in brackets surprised me, especially the word 'tolerate'. Why would any group of Christians have such a strong stand against Bible studies or prayer meetings ? I must be mis-understanding this comment.
Josh wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 12:52 pm
I assume non-plain conservative means evangelical but not wearing skirts, head coverings, or holding to nonresistance
I am unclear on what exactly Old Order would mean. My own group is a mixture of plain and Old Order (for example, we don't tolerate Bible studies or prayer meetings)
The comment in brackets surprised me, especially the word 'tolerate'. Why would any group of Christians have such a strong stand against Bible studies or prayer meetings ? I must be mis-understanding this comment.
Good question and feel free to start a thread asking it.
We have yet to have a Protestant vote in this poll.
I'm surprised by this in that we have people arguing for Protestant positions, but no one calls themselves Protestant.
1 x
The old woodcutter spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge?"
Ernie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2024 9:52 pm
We have yet to have a Protestant vote in this poll.
I'm surprised by this in that we have people arguing for Protestant positions, but no one calls themselves Protestant.
Hit a nerve did I ?
