http://www.sermonspice.com/product/38536/welcome-to-our-church-2011
I think we as a society have forgotten something along the way to progress. We forgot what freedom means. We forgot what it means to live in community with one another and God. Our Nobility has been sapped by our poor decisions and the never ending attack on our senses by the world around us.
Alot of you try to figure out why, how I became a Christian. It fits.
For all of us, it fits. I don't know why we make up so many lies as to why we believe or don't believe. I don't know why we have so many interpretations of one simple book.
But I do know this -- life is more full, more noble, and much less complicated as a Christian.
I mentioned earlier that we have forgotten what it means to be free. Freedom is not the ability to speak without censure. It is not the ability to date who you like, marry whomever you want. Freedom is not having the absence of discipline and perogative in our lives. Yet somehow, we have come to be deluded and think it is these things that define freedom.
I posit that Freedom exists when and only when an individual becomes self aware and has control of their mind - untethered to anything else in the world. You are free when you exist in the world but are not of the world. (PS that nugget's in the Bible by the way)
So how then can we achieve this? I contend that no other faith or philosophy on the planet allows for a path to complete freedom outside of Christianity. And I believe that no one can grasp the true freedom of life, the universe and everything (D.A. RIP 1952-2001) without being in a community of people who are themselves also pursuing the same thing.
The church experience should be one where you are not indoctrinated and brainwashed, nor brow beaten into a guilt laden submission of all temptations and desires. The link above describes my church experience at Calvary Chapel (we're in wikipedia too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_Chapel).
Anyway, I'm not perfect. But life is good and free. I did have to work hard for my freedom - but it didn't consist of paying for soldiers to fight terrorists, nor did it consist of teaching about creation or darwin in schools, nor does it require me to be consistently paying attention to the economic strife that is tearing our country down....
It required me to think, decide, and act in a manner consistent with my values.
Ok. done for now.
Spread the word - especially to young people.
