XJW4EVR

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Posts by XJW4EVR

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  66

  ~Beloved landmarks from your hometown~

  by FlyingHighNow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was almost seven, we moved from the gulf coast town of mobile, alabama to morgan city, louisiana.

  on brashear avenue, which was also highway 90, the gulf coast hwy, going towards the now old atchafalaya bridge, there was a shrimp boat in the middle of the road called the spirit of morgan city.

  at christmas time they decorated it with a santa on the front and his reindeer out front, as if it were santa's mode of transportation through cajun country, rather than his regular sleigh.

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  XJW4EVR

  Here are a few of Taos, NM.

  Taos Mountain at sunset

  A view of the Mountain as you drive up from the south:

  

  The Taos Pueblo. THe oldest multi-story building in the United States.
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  58

  For Christians...Is It Just Me or Am I Losing My Mind

  by XJW4EVR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just ended a three week sabbatical from attending my usual christian fellowship.

  going back last night, i was struck by just how superficial and shallow the worship service was.

  it was almost as if the worship leader was trying to manufacture joy in the believers.

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  XJW4EVR

  Double post
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  58

  For Christians...Is It Just Me or Am I Losing My Mind

  by XJW4EVR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just ended a three week sabbatical from attending my usual christian fellowship.

  going back last night, i was struck by just how superficial and shallow the worship service was.

  it was almost as if the worship leader was trying to manufacture joy in the believers.

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  XJW4EVR

  I have been thinking about much of what has been written on this thread. Most of the responses have been thought provoking for me, and others. Other responses, well, they are not deserving of a reply so we'll live that there.
  
  My issue is that there is a constant attempt to hype people up, as if worshiping God was some sort of spectator sport, and this gets to me. Not to mention, and this seems to be a problem systemic within the church I attend, the use of the same songs over and over. Let me give you an example: Around October a song was introduced to the congregation entitled,"How Great Is Our God." I loved this song, however this song has been song at least once every service since then. Last Sunday, they sang it and the words were hollow. They no longer lifted my spirit as once did. I could go done the line with other songs, but I do not think that there is a need.
  
  DD ask if I thought the worship in my church is man centered or God centered. This question has caused me to think harder on the situation. The answer is that it is man centered. Our worship appears to not be about lauding The Creator and The Savior of our souls, but rather it appears to be about attaining an emotion. This is something that I have discussed with my wife, who is a member of the worship team, and is currently being groomed to take over for the current worship leader who, will be partnering with her husband to start a church in Accra, Ghana. She is in agreement with me that things need to change, and hopefully things will be changing for the better soon.
  
  One thing I wish to make perfectly clear is that I am not saying that it is wrong to have "happy" worship. I believe that worship should reflect that emotion, however, when that emotion seems to be the only one targeted, then I think there is a problem. It is almost as if modern evangelical worship is focused on happy, and never any other emotion. How can someone that is going through a dark period in their life stand happiness? I remember when my mom died, I would come to church late, because I just did not feel like rejoicing, and it was actually hurting more than helping to be involved in that sort of worship. Granted I do not think that every worship song should consist of woeful expressions to God, but there appears to be (and many of the posts here affirm it) no acknowledgment of the dark times ever.
  
  jgnat, as far as revivalism goes, it was the Second Great Awakening and the teachings of the heretic Charles Finney that was the genesis of the problem that I am talking about. Finney wrote about what was needed for a revival, and one thing he never mentioned was the Spirit of God. Finney's version of "revival" was merely whipping up people's emotions in order to "feel conviction" for their sin, and then to get them to set at the "anxious bench" in order to be preached at directly. Finney was a master at using music as a means to get to his ends, "salvations" at the alter call.
  
  Robdar, I am not against joy, but I am against manufactured joy, which is not joy at all, but something entirely different.
  
  I have no issues with powerpoint displays of the song lyrics, in fact I recently attended a rather traditional church in which the lyrics of Amazing Grace, A Mighty Fortress, and It is Well With My Soul were displayed in such a manner. Nor am I against modern praise and worship. I honestly believe that just because it is old, it is good, nor am I a person who believes that the modern music has a new "annointing" that the older songs do not have.
  
  Some songs that are written in the dark times, can and do minister to us. The first time I heard It Is Well With My Soul was after my mom had died, and that song was used by God to bring me through that dark period in my life. It Is Well was written by a man, Horatio Spafford, that suffered two tragedies in his life. First, he lost his only son in 1871. Which was followed by the great Chicago fire in which he was financially ruined. He then attempted to relocate to Europe, and booked passage on a ship. He was delayed do to some business matters. So he placed his wife and four daughters on board the ship, and promised that he would catch up with them. Sadly, that ship collied with another, and the ship the family was on sank. the daughters lost their lives, however his wife survived, and sent a telegram to Spafford that read, "Saved alone." As Spafford traveled to meet his wife, the ship he was on passed near the spot of the collision, and he was inspired to write that hymn. No other hymn or worship song I have heard since, has ever affected me as that song did. However, most modern churches will not play that song, as it is considered too dark.
  
  Thank you for all your contributions. They have caused me to think.
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  58

  For Christians...Is It Just Me or Am I Losing My Mind

  by XJW4EVR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just ended a three week sabbatical from attending my usual christian fellowship.

  going back last night, i was struck by just how superficial and shallow the worship service was.

  it was almost as if the worship leader was trying to manufacture joy in the believers.

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  XJW4EVR

  Wow, what a great response. Obviously I hit on something that is not unique to me. I am currently meditating on many of the responses on this thread, and I will post as I order my thoughts.
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  28

  Woodland Hills Assembly Hall, Woodland Hills CA

  by AudeSapere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have a few questions regarding this property (woodland hills assembly hall, woodland hills ca).. 1. rumor had it that bob hope built the building but there was insufficient parking to allow for 'worldly' concerts.

  true or false??.

  2. what happened to the building??

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  XJW4EVR

  The old Woodland Hills Assembly Hall was originally built for theater in the round. In fact, I had a good friend that saw Flower Drum Song there prior to it being sold to the Witlesses.
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  58

  For Christians...Is It Just Me or Am I Losing My Mind

  by XJW4EVR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just ended a three week sabbatical from attending my usual christian fellowship.

  going back last night, i was struck by just how superficial and shallow the worship service was.

  it was almost as if the worship leader was trying to manufacture joy in the believers.

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  XJW4EVR

  I just ended a three week sabbatical from attending my usual Christian fellowship. Going back last night, I was struck by just how superficial and shallow the worship service was. It was almost as if the worship leader was trying to manufacture joy in the believers. It was almost as if he was a song leader at some sporting event attempting to whip up the crowd into a controlled frenzy. The whole seen just disgusted me to such a degree that I walked outside and waited until it was over, and then returned to my seat.
  
  Am I the only one that is turned off by this "happy clappy" worship, or is this something that you have experienced too? Where is the blue note of Christian worship music? I mean when you look at the Psalms, they are full of lyric that I would categorize as the blues. Where is the despair that is displayed in the Psalms? Where are the songs of lament? Are there any Christians out there that have experienced this?
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  27

  Proof WBTS is downgrading 1914

  by yesidid in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  maybe they're keeping the doctrine but they are not writing about it as much in the watchtower.. below are statistics from their 07 cd showing how many times 1914 was mentioned in the watchtower for each year 1950 to 2006 .

  i have divided the years 1950 2006 into segments of eight excepting for the last, which is nine.. on the side i have the average for those years.

  notice they have gone from 88.87 a year to 24.44. .

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  XJW4EVR

  "New Light" must be "just around the corner."
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  45

  U 2 - What Are Your Favorite Songs and Albums from Them ?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, this is one of 2 groups i will post tonight .

  i'll post my other favorite current group later as i have to go to dinner.

  but u 2 is one of my favorite current active groups performing still.

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  XJW4EVR

  U2 is the single greatest band currently playing. There music touches me in ways that no other modern musicians have. Too me it's not the music or the beat, but the lyrics. Of all the modern musicians, U2's music reads very well as poetry.
  
  My favorite songs:
  
  One
  Sunday, Bloody, Sunday
  Mysterious Ways
  Where the Streets Have No Name
  Pride
  New Year's Day
  
  I don't really have a favorite U2 album, though.
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  26

  Ok, lets set the record straight was it a CROSS or a STAKE

  by Witchs Son in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  and what would you say about the book often referenced by the society as a backing for the stake theory, the non-christian cross by j. d. parsons ?.

  you can also download it here if you prefer.

  i know that book was written in 19th century so i hope that won't be used as an argument against it after all sir isaac newton's principia was written in 1687 and we aren't holding that against it either.

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  XJW4EVR

  To me, based on the historic record and the biblical record, Jesus was crucified. Now am I going to die on that particular hill of theology? Absolutely not. I am more concerned about the meaning that is placed on that death. In other words, was the atonement that Jesus made only for Adam's sin, or was it for every member of the elect?
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  30

  When, if ever, did you start caring about POLITICS?

  by Open mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've said a few times on here that i'm 99% mentally free of jwism, or something similar.

  but i think i may need to back that number down just a bit.. i now believe that this world is all we've got and that,collectively, it matters what we as a species do on this orb if we want to continue to spread our dna indefinitely.

  (some would argue that human extinction would be a good thing, but i'm not in that camp.

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  XJW4EVR

  Like Mulan, I always had an interest in politics, in order to "be a more effective Witness." However, I did not "care" about politics until the first election after I left (1992). Since then I have been a political junky, with a serious jones every 3 years, lol.