One of these things is not like the other

One of these things is not like the other...

I am biased but it seems plain to me that one of these is out of place in regards to the nature of being a follower of Jesus


E. Living in obedience to the Word of God

Progress in holiness is an expected response of gratitude to the grace of God, which is initiated, sustained, and fulfilled by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The first re- sponse of gratitude is prayer, and the daily discipline of prayer – both individually and together – should mark the Christian life. The life of prayer includes praise to God for His nature and works, sincere confession of our sin, and intercession for the needs of those we know and for the needs of the world.
As we practice the discipline of regular self-examination and confession, we are especially guided by the Ten Com- mandments. We therefore hold one another accountable to:
1. worship God alone, living all of life to His glory, renouncing all idolatry and all inordinate loves that might lead us to trust in any other help;
2. worship God in humility, being reticent in either describing or picturing God, recognizing that right worship is best supported not by our own innovative practices but through the living preaching of the Word and the faithful administration of the Sacraments;

3. eliminate from both speech and thought any blasphemy, irreverence, or impurity;
4. observe the Sabbath as a day of worship and rest, being faithful in gathering with the people of God;
5. give honor toward those set in authority over us and practice mutual submission within the commu- nity of the church;
6. eradicate a spirit of anger, resentment, callousness, violence, or bitterness, and instead cultivate a spirit of gentleness, kindness, peace, and love; recognize and honor the image of God in every human being from conception to natural death.
7. maintain chastity in thought and deed, being faithful within the covenant of marriage between
a man and a woman as established by God at the creation or embracing a celibate life as established by Jesus in the new covenant;
8. practice right stewardship of the goods we have been given, showing charity to those in need and offering generous support of the Church and its ministries;
9. pursue truth, even when such pursuit is costly, and defend truth when it is challenged, recognizing that truth is in order to goodness and that its preservation matters;
10. resist the pull of envy, greed, and acquisition, and instead cultivate a spirit of contentment with the gifts God has given us.
In Jesus Christ we see the perfect expression of God’s holy will for human beings offered to God in our place. His holy life must now become our holy life. In Christ, God’s will is now written on our hearts, and we look forward to the day when we will be so confirmed in holiness that we will no longer be able to sin. As the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, Jesus leads us along the path of life toward that goal, bringing us into ever deeper intimacy with the Triune God, in whose presence is fullness of joy. 

Not hypothetical situation

So if you are part of an church where you are in disagreement with 88% of the people on what you feel is a minor issue, do you leave and find a different church where you agree with the majority or do you stay and stand up for what you believe?   What if you are told that you can never be part of the leadership because you are not like-minded.  What if you already give hours and hours of your time...but are told you can only serve in certain places.  Do you stay and keep serving with a smile on your face or do you feel devalued and become disinclined to serve?

On Blogging

I have some friends who have been discussing the possible reasons why their blogging has slowed way down.  So I have been thinking about that for myself.  Some reasons:

1.  I feel less comfortable sharing my thoughts publicly.

 I am not sure why this is.  I have several times thought about protected posts or something like that.  I guess I don't know who is reading and I feel more and more that as my circles expand I may say something that affects my relationships with people I come into contact with.  It was far easier to blog in the day that my blog was read mostly by people I didn't know face-to-face.

2.  My stage of life is transitional right now.

I am figuring out what my "stay-at-home" mom career is going to morph into now that the kids are in school full-time.  I feel kind of silly writing about my life on here - like people will judge - but I think it is my own insecurities.  I really should write a post on this topic.

3.  It is easier to throw one sentence onto Facebook than write a whole post

I am sure there are more, but that's what I have right now.  I would like to blog more, but need to figure out these issues.

January and February 2012 Pictures

I have taken next to zero pictures this year.  The paltry few can be viewed below.  There are more pictures of my kitchen than my children...we are still in construction right now...I will post an update to that. (rss folks...pictures below)