For the past few months, I've been attending church regularly. I've been going to The Church of the Harvest in Olive Branch, MS. The paster is Bob Thomas and it is a nondenominational church. I really enjoy the praise and worship. I feel that that is what gets our minds ready to recieve the message for the day. I know I need to praise God. Anyway, Pastor Bob always has an uplifting and inspiring message and just finished a series on faith. I love hearing messages that help me in my daily walk. Well, because I've been in Arkansas for the past two Sundays, I've missed my church. On the 25th I attending Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Dermott and really enjoyed the sermon. Although it is a Baptist church, they believe and teach many of the principles I believe in and I know that Pastor Lattimore is about teaching his members to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and once that is established one can't help but change.
Well yesterday (against my better judgement) I decided to attend St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church in Montrose. I knew that the pastor is very traditional and doesn't believe women should wear pants to church, etc. I didn't feel like driving to Dermott because I would be leaving to return home the same day, but I just felt I needed to go to chuch. I should've stayed at home! I am still upset about what was said. I am a gum chewer, I chew gum at home, at work and church. I don't chew with my mouth open and I think I chew pretty discreetly. Well, apparently it is disrespectful and out of order in the baptist church. The pastor made it a point to discuss this issue after his sermon. He said it is very disrespectful to sit and chew with your mouth open. There was a young lady sitting in front of me and she immediately took her gum out of her mouth. I had taken mine out right before he said anything about it...because I was tired of it. Out of order, disrespectful? There are a lot more things I can think of that is going on in that church that need to be addressed besides gum chewing!! When are we going to realize that souls are more important than traditions and man made rules?! There are people who have no concept of God, but he is going on about gum.
Maybe I had it coming because I wear pants when I go to that church and I even let my children play their video games. I mean, they don't have a children's ministry because they feel it's just "babysitting." Although mine didn't hear anything that was said because they were gaming, I bet none of the other kids knew what happened either...they played hot seat all during service.
Needless to say, I have no plans to visit that church again! My prayer is that I can get over this and move on, but I just get upset whenever I think of the souls and lives that are not being touched/changed because of nitpicky stuff like that.
Love Jesus, Hate Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment