tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16824250.post113621665752076632..comments2023-05-10T02:59:33.596-05:00Comments on something deep and witty: Blue, as it relates to crayons and jazzAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02677742255848919123noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16824250.post-1136907712307690912006-01-10T09:41:00.000-06:002006-01-10T09:41:00.000-06:00Well, I guess I've had a lot of negative experienc...Well, I guess I've had a lot of negative experiences, but some positive too. My positive experiences come from my parents, and from switching to the Anderson Mill youth group my senior year of high school. There I experienced some real growth, encouragement, and love. <BR/>But, my time at my former church, that I was at from the time I was 3 til I was a senior in high school, left me with some bad memories. The youth pastor was all about favorites, and snubbed my brother and me. The name of the game was guilt trips - you better witness to X number of people per day/week or you're not a real Christian... etc. Or, are you sure you're saved? You better pray again just in case. Those kinds of things were really damaging. The general feeling from the youth group was not welcoming, and was pretty judgmental. There were many times both my brother and I would rather hang out with my parents' sunday school class and their friends than with the people in the youth group. As for Sunday School teachers, I guess they were ok, but the general experience at the church left a lot of scars. I did always like the pastor, though. I always admired his faith, especially after knowing what all he went through in his life.<BR/><BR/>I guess these things contributed to discontent with the church, but I didn't really realize I was allowed to be discontent until I switched churches and found a better youth group and saw what I was missing. However, then there was a church split at this church which provided more disillusionment and led to other thoughts and ideas into college, which EVENTUALLY led me to where I am now. But, it was a long journey.<BR/><BR/>So, I hope that answers your question...Brookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03856923400550621312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16824250.post-1136781758808808682006-01-08T22:42:00.000-06:002006-01-08T22:42:00.000-06:00I haven't read the book yet, but I can comment on ...I haven't read the book yet, but I can comment on my church experience. I was exposed to a really nasty church split when I was young and my view of church leadeship was certainly blemished. It did make me somewhat cynical and skeptical about church when I was a teenager. But, I also was surrounded by some awesome godly people ( a minister at our church for one)and I inherited from my parents knowledge of the truth that is found in scripture.(They were also very good examples and the most committed people I know for going to church) So while I was pretty confused at one point in my journey, I still had a foundation that made me a fertile ground for Jesus to grow inside of me when some of these muddles could be cleared up. I am thankful for both the foundation of Christ I received when I was growing up as well as the yucky experience of my church splitting up and the loss of people I had, for years, respected and spent a lot of time with. While I hate that Satan wreaked havoc on our church, I can now see how the Lord has used my hurt and confusion over that time to teach me about the preciousness of His body, the sinful nature of all people, and the importance of Jesus living inside of us. I am even thankful, as weird as this may seem, that my parents trained my brother and me to go to church whenever they opened the doors. If I hadn't felt guilty for not going, I don't think I would have made the connections that led to me being a part of Wednesday nights where I was really exposed to truth for the first time. How ironic is that? But I guess God chose to take a very legalistic habit and work it for His glory. Now that is an awesome God!sandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03823826654313455255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16824250.post-1136387953023199932006-01-04T09:19:00.000-06:002006-01-04T09:19:00.000-06:00Let's see if I can explain better. Don seems to h...Let's see if I can explain better. Don seems to have been turned off to God and the church and Christianity as a whole because of his negative experiences with church and Christianity. Because of some of the things he says in the book (that I've read so far), he seems to have encountered a fair bit of legalism and, quite possibly, proud ignorance. He seems to have an overall negative view of the church that turned him off to God for a while--if these people were God's representatives, he didn't care to know this God. , I just haven't had experiences like that--my overall experiences with the church, etc. have generally turned me to the Lord and helped me know him better. So, my question is, have your church experiences been positive or negative influences in your walk with/toward the Lord, and did you identify with where Don was coming from as he came to the Lord. There are several things that prompted this question, but that's another whole blog.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02677742255848919123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16824250.post-1136337383273783622006-01-03T19:16:00.000-06:002006-01-03T19:16:00.000-06:00Then again, in a lot of ways my faith is very simi...Then again, in a lot of ways my faith is very similar to what it was 8 years ago - just thought I would throw that into the mix as well. It hasn't changed as much as it as developed (if that makes any sense). It has gone a different direction, just deeper in the same general direction.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08861579405326736179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16824250.post-1136337266932894252006-01-03T19:14:00.000-06:002006-01-03T19:14:00.000-06:00I don't exactly understand what you are getting at...I don't exactly understand what you are getting at and how your question relates to your comments about the book...I'm kinda slow though so that's no problem<BR/><BR/>Anyways, I can still answer your question. My encounters with all the people you mentioned greatly affected the way I view/viewed God, the church, Christianity, etc. I don't think there is any other option. My experiences growing up in the church, being influenced by sunday school teachers, pastor's, other church leaders, etc, very much shaped what my faith developed into (especially before college). My parents influenced my faith just as much or more, but the influences from within the churches I attended were huge for me in everything I thought, did, and believed. This changed some as I went to college and was exposed to different people and their sometimes difering thoughts and opinions. <BR/><BR/>Of course throughout this there has been a thread of commonality but I think my faith has changed a lot over the years (particularlly over the past eight or so years).<BR/><BR/>I don't know if that has anything to do with what you were wanting...<BR/><BR/>When I look back at reading Blue Like Jazz, Don Miller's dissatisfaction with his church experience etc (as you mention) is not really something that sticks out for me personally in having read the book.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08861579405326736179noreply@blogger.com