Originally Posted by
Blackwater
Amen, Claude. And Boaz, I too find much of most church services to be repetitive. Preachers try VERY hard to keep it "fresh," but even as an older teenager, I began to notice the repetitiveness. I knew it was to help save new souls, but when I looked around and saw noone there who hadn't already committed themselves, it started to be .... well, in all honesty, it became boring. But I kept going, and taking whatever tidbit here and there that I could find out of it, and slowly, grew as a Christian. But as Claude said, when one truly believes, we will always, to our dying day, WANT so much more than we already have of our understanding and relationship with Christ. At that point, I suspect we all really have to start going off on our own, just as we did when we became mature enough to leave home and go out and make our own home somewhere and somehow. Learning about our Lord is, I think, a lot like a young person leaving home for the first time. It's intimidating, in a way, to be out alone with only your beliefs, among all the evil that's in the world. But it's also how we learn and mature, as well, and THIS is the key to everything we do as Christians. If we ever stop learning or yearning to learn, it seems we inevitably "backslide," and fall into things we ought not.
We're all human, and even the best and brightest among us is not immune from at least brief moments of "backsliding." That's just our essential nature, that inevitably seems to HAVE to come out in some small way, at least, from time to time. Following Christ is something none of us does perfectly, as Christ followed the Father. Therefore, we must be eternally vigilant and guard ourselves from bad influences, and temptations. But at the same time, be willing to go "into the lion's den" without fear, and do our Lord's work, when it's called for.
Our work is never done as long as we still have breath within us. And we do get a bit weary now and then, but really ... what a great adventure Christianity is, when properly lived! Nobody learns as much as when they're amid a real adventure in life. And I've long thought of Christianity as more of an "adventure" than a "challenge," though challenges certainly confront us all at times.
And if you get it all figured out, Charlie, you're a heap smarter than ME!!! I'm just learning to enjoy the ride, even the rough spots.