Unwritten, yet commonly understood rules/standards/beliefs that your church has?

[steve-in-kville]

Also, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

I have so many questions....

[steve-in-kville]

When it came to music, I remember in the mid-90's when country music was becoming a "thing"... at least to my generation. The music itself, the singers, the dress, country line dancing and so forth. The sermons preached on how country music was worse the rock music were endless. Yes, I saw the point but years later I wonder if that energy could have been used on different subjects.

But then, hindsight is often 20/20.

[Josh]

When it came to music, I remember in the mid-90's when country music was becoming a "thing"... at least to my generation. The music itself, the singers, the dress, country line dancing and so forth. The sermons preached on how country music was worse the rock music were endless. Yes, I saw the point but years later I wonder if that energy could have been used on different subjects.

But then, hindsight is often 20/20.

Of course, country music is pretty rotten now, glorifying fornication, immodesty, drunkenness, violence, and often having themes of excessive jingoism and patriotism and features themes that are quite ungodly and not becoming to the Christian who wants to keep his mind set on the things that are above. There is a very negative aspect of some plain people (particularly barely-plain people) who seem eager to adopt some kind of "country" / Americana sort of culture. They often go overboard, getting cowboy hats, cowboy boots, lifting their pickup and tuning up the fuel pump to roll coal, and then playing the latest Luke Bryan songs.

I would say the preachers were well on to something and everyone would have been wise to listen to them - but perhaps teaching (and a flock willing to be teachable) on exactly why choosing to listen to music that promotes fornication, drunkenness, and other sins that lead to eternal spiritual death is maybe not a good idea.

[ohio jones]

Persecution-related posts have been exiled, here.

[ohio jones]

Also, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

I have so many questions....

All you gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down
Do it, do it, do it

[Heirbyadoption]

It's interesting how different Christian cultures develop.

In Colombia, S.A., there is a Christian group that practices non-violence, modest dress, head-covering for women, disciplined church life, etc. I don't think they have much written down. (And yes, believe it or not, they never had any influence from Anabaptists.

In most disciplined churches with these sorts of convictions, there is an invisible fence around the communion table. At communion time, a visitor finds out who is inside the fence and who is outside unless they find out through inquiry ahead of time.

At the church in Colombia, there is an actual waist-high chain link fence about 3/4 of the way back through the auditorium. Members sit in front of the fence, non-members and the excommunicated sit behind the fence. This may seem really bizarre but I have no problem with it.

Only Christians from other churches who meet the dress code can sit in front of the fence. The dress code for men is a red shirt and white/light pants and no red socks. (wearing red socks could give the impression that one is trampling underfoot the blood of Jesus.)

Some Nationwide Fellowship Mennonites visited the church and were allowed to sit in front of the fence wearing dark pants, since they were foreigners and unused to the church's customs.

Other neat things about this group of churches is that one of pastors try to check in with each member of the flock each day to make sure they are doing ok. Westerners might think this is overboard, but I love it. It is the opposite of what most pastors do that I am familiar with.

I tend to think of myself as pretty open to different ways of practice, but this one repels my spirit pretty strongly...

[ken_sylvania]

It's interesting how different Christian cultures develop.

In Colombia, S.A., there is a Christian group that practices non-violence, modest dress, head-covering for women, disciplined church life, etc. I don't think they have much written down. (And yes, believe it or not, they never had any influence from Anabaptists.

In most disciplined churches with these sorts of convictions, there is an invisible fence around the communion table. At communion time, a visitor finds out who is inside the fence and who is outside unless they find out through inquiry ahead of time.

At the church in Colombia, there is an actual waist-high chain link fence about 3/4 of the way back through the auditorium. Members sit in front of the fence, non-members and the excommunicated sit behind the fence. This may seem really bizarre but I have no problem with it.

Only Christians from other churches who meet the dress code can sit in front of the fence. The dress code for men is a red shirt and white/light pants and no red socks. (wearing red socks could give the impression that one is trampling underfoot the blood of Jesus.)

Some Nationwide Fellowship Mennonites visited the church and were allowed to sit in front of the fence wearing dark pants, since they were foreigners and unused to the church's customs.

Other neat things about this group of churches is that one of pastors try to check in with each member of the flock each day to make sure they are doing ok. Westerners might think this is overboard, but I love it. It is the opposite of what most pastors do that I am familiar with.

I tend to think of myself as pretty open to different ways of practice, but this one repels my spirit pretty strongly...

The fence or the daily interrogation?

[Ernie]

The fence or the daily interrogation?

I'm not aware that it is interrogation. Rather meeting someone at the market place and asking, "Is your family all well? Anything I can help you with today?" I understood it is more pastoral care then breathing down one's neck.

[NedFlanders]

Also, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

I have so many questions....

All you gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down
Do it, do it, do it

That of course is easier if your pappy was a pistol.

[AndersonD]

The fence or the daily interrogation?

I'm not aware that it is interrogation. Rather meeting someone at the market place and asking, "Is your family all well? Anything I can help you with today?" I understood it is more pastoral care then breathing down one's neck.

Very interesting to hear about the group in Colombia. I plan to attend the Culture Fest on the Mall. I hope I encounter some from the group there!