It's pretty cool to be able to connect with people from your past. One of my friends from High School and I recently added each other as friends, and were able to call and talk. As we talked about things, I eventually started to talk about the church in GA that I had connected with. I talked about the relaxed, casual atmosphere, the amazing music, and clear, relevant teaching. I let him know that I was really enjoying going to church and getting involved doing the "coffee ministry" and leading a small group.
His next comment made me feel concerned about his perspective on church. He said, "I could never attend a church like that. My view of church is that there needs to be some sort of punishment associated with it. It doesn't make sense that church would be fun."Although my friend and I had attended the same denomination as kids, and we both believed in Jesus, his church experience was very rule-based... Show up in your best clothes. Sit, stand, at the prescribed times while listening to the organ play. Recite the prayers, word-for-word. Respond with the proper words after scriptures are read. Yada, yada, yada.
Matthew 11:28-30 tels us about our relationship with him...
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%2011:28-30&version=NIV
But Jesus didn't come to heap punitive rules on us as a heavy yoke. We're reminded of that in Matthew 11:30. He invites us to enjoy a personal relationship with him and with each other. We're reminded of those invitations in Luke 10:27. And Paul says in Romans 10 that Jesus came to establish his church where "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
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