Thought provoking Quotes from Lee Warren.....
"I wonder if we have bled too much in front the next generation. Shouting matches with our spouses, too much information about financial or personal struggles, and too much yearning for the good ol' days. I’m not advocating a return to the days when parents were so emotionally distant from their children that their kids never really knew them. But maybe we've gone too far the other way. We bleed so much in front of the next generation that we force them to deal with things they shouldn't need to. "
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In a culture that screams for our attention at every turn—from internet pop-up and banner ads, to television and radio commercials, to cell phones with built in instant messaging—we seem to be afraid of silence or at the very least, we want to avoid it. But I think we are missing an opportunity to grow closer to people by simply remaining silent sometimes.
"Approved membership lapse of Michelle DeWit as she is joining Hope Fellowship Church in Waterloo."
(Church bulletin, Jan. 15, 2006 pg. 4)
I am happy to see that I am no longer part of my parent's church. Then again I've never really been a member of the church. Confused yet? Let me explain...
Technically to become a member of that church (and denomination) you must complete a profession of faith before the church. This enabled you to partake in communion and get the title of "member". The strange thing is - I never did any of the above and infant baptism does not make you a member either. So, in essense, this lapsing of membership is pointless since I was never a member in the first place. Yet my current so called "membership" status had to be approved by the church council to become lapsed (or in early bulletins, "deleted"). I find it so interesting that the way my parent's church handles membership changes. Who cares what denomination people switch to! You should rejoice that the person/people are still going to church! I should the announcement to my current pastor - he'd definitely get a good laugh out of this!
Thinking back to my childhood in that church - I honestly cannot come up with any good moments. I was an outcast, picked on, made fun of and never recognized for my contributions. In the Girls Club I got the most badges and on the awards night the head leader conveniently forgot them at home. Nice eh? Or the time the same leader basically called me fat. Or being told that nobody liked me because they thought I was a loser. Even so with my parents, the only time my mom was ever included in anything was VBS - because she directed it! That was the only time my family was accepted. Even now I wonder why my parents still attend that church. They do have some good friends and people to talk to but I think they could find more genuine and caring people.
I cannot find many positive parts about my upbring in that church BUT without everything I went through and all the things I learned not to do - it has put me where I am now. Without such events I wouldn't know that there is so much more the my relationship with Christ then just on Sundays, that there is more to life than constantly being busy and doing work we think is making us pleasing in God's eyes. I am grateful that I had a church to grow up and that I had support from family and friends and I still do love the odd hymn now and again.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my parents church nor the Christian Reformed Denomination, I just realized there was nothing there for me and I wasn't growing or being challenged. Some people enjoy such a rigid structure and find God in the quietness. It's just not for me - I need more than that.
Here's to a new beginning of becoming a member of Hope Fellowship!