[PR1234]

Religion is belief in someone else's experience.
Spirituality is having your own experience.
~ Deepak Chopra

[tedquick]

Originally Posted by DruannB

Interesting topic. My husband was just asking me today if I thought we would be able to find a church in TV that suits our beliefs about being "disciples of Christ." We're not crazy about the term "Christian" since it has been so abused throughout the centuries. I imagine we'll try all the churches in the area, but if anyone would like to make a suggestion, we would love to hear what makes your church special. Prior to returning to church just this year, we stayed away for about 20 years, believing as Emily Dickinson did that you can celebrate God anywhere. Now we find the church community inspiring and it allows us to grow in so many positive ways.

My wife and I have visited TV 6 or 7 times. We purchased a little over a year ago and will be making our final move to there the 30th of this month. We have checked out and number of churches and chose New Covenant United Methodist Church located at 3470 Woodridge Dr. It is about the size of the church we are leaving (around 2000 members). As I intimated in another post, I go to church for revitalization and rejuvenation and I get my learning and growth from small groups that I attend. I need both and I enjoy both. While the church size may be intimidating and fairly impersonal, the intimacy I like to share I find in small groups. Give New Covenant a try.

[sunnyatlast]

God is spirit. Therefore, when He made us in His own likeness, He made us as spirits.

God is also eternal, and therefore as spirits made in His own likeness, our spirits are eternal, too.

Genesis 1:

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;

And let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it;

And rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage...1&version=NASB

[DruannB]

Thank you for the suggestion. We will check it out.

Originally Posted by tedquick

My wife and I have visited TV 6 or 7 times. We purchased a little over a year ago and will be making our final move to there the 30th of this month. We have checked out and number of churches and chose New Covenant United Methodist Church located at 3470 Woodridge Dr. It is about the size of the church we are leaving (around 2000 members). As I intimated in another post, I go to church for revitalization and rejuvenation and I get my learning and growth from small groups that I attend. I need both and I enjoy both. While the church size may be intimidating and fairly impersonal, the intimacy I like to share I find in small groups. Give New Covenant a try.

[karostay]

Originally Posted by rubicon

I believe we are by nature spiritual beings. I believe most people on their death beds become believers. Since energy can't be destroyed and we are composed of energy we will always exist. We all lived and will travel between the two eternities.

The problems associated with all religions rests with the conceit of some humans.

Right On!

[Nightengale212]

The Shack sounds interesting and I will check it out on Kindle. Currently reading Jesus on Trial by David Limbaugh and enjoying it very much. It is a conversion story of a fallen away Christian who is also a lawyer and uses his legal expertise to determine if the Gospels are truly the inspired Word of God.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by LI SNOWBIRD

Alas, I am not. But I just read a book that is spiritual. It does not try to "Justify the ways of God to man" as Milton did in "Paradise Lost", but rather tells a charming story of personal loss and questioning God's relevance and place in one's life.
I will only say that The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit become flesh to help a man come to grips with loss and with his relationship with them.
The book is "The Shack" by William Paul Young.
It was an interesting read-- but I'm still not spiritual though I am Christian-- I would recommend it

I sometimes feel spiritual though I wouldn't call myself a Christian; I don't follow any religion. At any rate, it's not something I try to work on, it's either there or it's not. And sometimes it's not there.
I don't think there's anything anyone can do to become more or less spiritual. You either have it or you don't. In other words, it's not something you decide on an intellectual level.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Nightengale212

The Shack sounds interesting and I will check it out on Kindle. Currently reading Jesus on Trial by David Limbaugh and enjoying it very much. It is a conversion story of a fallen away Christian who is also a lawyer and uses his legal expertise to determine if the Gospels are truly the inspired Word of God.

That book "Jesus on Trial" sounds very worthwhile. I minored in Religious Studies looking for answers. Mainly, I wanted to know why God let Michelle Mitchell be murdered on my birthday while I was a student of her mother. I had had taken Mrs. Barbara Mitchell's English class at Earl Wooster High School. I never told that reason to anyone at the University of Nevada, Reno until after my friend Tom S., was knifed a number of times in the chest area and was dead for a few minutes. The Philosophy professors found me a little cold about Tom S's predicament . He had tried to pick up a married woman near a whorehouse called Mustang Ranch. I guess he wanted more of a challenge. The jealous husband got off very lightly on the attempted murder charges. That's the story I heard anyway from Tom S. Not sure if all of it was true. I do still wonder if God gets involved with our day-to-day lives and why.

[elbear]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

That book "Jesus on Trial" sounds very worthwhile. I minored in Religious Studies looking for answers. Mainly, I wanted to know why God let Michelle Mitchell be murdered on my birthday while I was a student of her mother in her English class at Earl Wooster High School. I never told that reason to anyone at the University of Nevada, Reno until after my friend Tom S., was knifed a number of times in the chest area and was dead for a few minutes. The Philosophy professors found me a little cold about Tom S's predicament . He had tried to pick up a married woman near a whorehouse called Mustang Ranch. I guess he wanted more of a challenge. The jealous husband got off very lightly on the attempted murder charges. That's the story I heard anyway from Tom S. Not sure if all of it was true. I do still wonder if God gets involved with our day-to-day lives and why.

You like many of us are a seeker. We have many questions and not all of them get answered. It's a process, discerning, walking down the center of the two-edged sword slowly understanding what we need and only wish for. I dislike cliches but then it really is a journey for those who seek not a destination. Can you understand?

[eweissenbach]

I have read all the posts in this thread and see many views that I agree with. I go to church somewhat regularly as I like being part of a group of people seeking a better life. I won't attend a church that is judgemental, dogmatic, or political, which many are. I have largely lost faith in organized religion due to the many unseemly things I have seen from people who claim to be righteous. I have lost trust in man's ability to interpret and convey the will of a God, seeing clergy commit the most egregious crimes again and again. I cannot believe in the Bible as the infallible word of God, because of some of the unbelievable stories which I believe were conjured up by early church leaders as cautionary tales to those who might be inclined not to follow their rules, as well as the inconsistencies therein. I try my best to live a life that observes the teachings of Christ and the Golden Rule, but I wouldn't consider myself a spiritual person. I believe in live and let live and don't deny anyone else the right to worship as they see fit as long as their religion doesn't preach hatred or bigotry.

[onslowe]

Maybe religion is a turn-off to some because through the ages it's definitely where the sinners have been. Ugh. Christ - as I have decided He is - is cool. He really didn't mean all the things He said, and he certainly didn't hang round with sinners. No way. And I really don't believe He said (I can pick and choose…after all it's MOI) to the Apostles "I will be with you until the end of time." Nah, sounds too much like He was favoring religion! No way.

He was not really a Teacher, because that might involve doctrine, believing and discipline. He was cool, and was only spiritual like me. I'm a good person, I like sunsets and trees and I don't go for submission or surrender. I don't hurt anyone and that is all God wants. Doesn't want worship - dull. Doesn't want praise - egotistical. Doesn't want us to think of Him. It's all about us and our self created little world.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by onslowe

Maybe religion is a turn-off to some because through the ages it's definitely where the sinners have been. Ugh. Christ - as I have decided He is - is cool. He really didn't mean all the things He said, and he certainly didn't hang round with sinners. No way. And I really don't believe He said (I can pick and choose…after all it's MOI) to the Apostles "I will be with you until the end of time." Nah, sounds too much like He was favoring religion! No way.

He was not really a Teacher, because that might involve doctrine, believing and discipline. He was cool, and was only spiritual like me. I'm a good person, I like sunsets and trees and I don't go for submission or surrender. I don't hurt anyone and that is all God wants. Doesn't want worship - dull. Doesn't want praise - egotistical. Doesn't want us to think of Him. It's all about us and our self created little world.

No offense, but I have read your post twice and I am unclear on the point you are trying to make

[Halibut]

The Unitarian fellowship in Summerfield has some good programs.

www.uufmc.org

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by elbear

As humans we search for "something more" and this is evidenced in every area of life. Look at our creativity! Watch us when confronted with a puzzle! Our spirituality is not shut up in just one area,we seek, we wonder. Why should it be different in death? All through life we see regeneration all around us is by faith it seems normal to believe in something beyond death.

Originally Posted by elbear

If I read between the lines, spiritual meaning the qualities of being spiritually minded..goodness, kindness, helpfulness and so on..then I've been on the path (sometimes slip off), most of my life. I call it religious but we get caught up on semantics with terms. I believe in God too, but not the anthropormorphized God. I have grown up Christian so I see God in this light or the qualities of God, is a better description. I think the Mystics, who seem to have no problem with each other no matter what background, have it right. Being spiritually minded, how should I act? The Golden Rule is the answer and I believe it included all things and creatures on this earth. I tend to stay away from extreme dogmatics especially as they break this rule and in this sense say religions divide, heart-felt spirituality brings us together.

Originally Posted by rubicon

I believe we are by nature spiritual beings. I believe most people on their death beds become believers. Since energy can't be destroyed and we are composed of energy we will always exist. We all lived and will travel between the two eternities.

The problems associated with all religions rests with the conceit of some humans.

Originally Posted by PR1234

Religion is belief in someone else's experience.
Spirituality is having your own experience.
~ Deepak Chopra

Here are some of the previous posts that I found to be meaningful.
No agenda, just learning like many others.

[chachacha]

to answer the title question, personally i believe i am a spiritual person and have had my own spiritual experiences which assure me that God is real. i cannot imagine my life without my Catholic faith, which imbues every aspect of my being....i did not really like the book The Shack but would not say one should not read it. onslowe's post says a lot!