Thank you to all who wrote me a comment about yesterday’s blog. Your thoughts and opinions are important to me. Today I would like to welcome a new blog follower, Susan K. I hope you enjoy reading my blog, Susan. Feel free to leave a comment from time to time.
Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada, 7/7/01
Dave and I listened to an interesting on-line lecture the other night. We heard Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, a Lutheran professor and minister, speak on the topic of “The Gospel for Those Broken by the Church”. This lecture was originally given six years ago and is even more timely today.
Many people have been broken by their churches. They work and work and try to do the right thing, and it just gets harder, not easier. And sometimes their church makes them feel that “if only” they worked even harder and volunteered even more, and spent even more time at church, “then” they would receive more blessings.
Wrong! The Gospel message has nothing to do with our works. Among other points, Dr. Rosenbladt explicitly lists the kinds of people that many of us will be very surprised to see in heaven.
If you’ve struggled with your faith in your church because of what you’re seeing and hearing (and maybe don’t even go to church anymore), you don’t want to miss this powerful address – an unabashed analysis of the church today and what it is doing to many believers – from one who has experienced it himself.
If this topic sounds intriguing to you, listen to this 50 minute lecture. Your mind may be opened to a new way of looking at the Church.
New Reformation Press is offering this lecture free of charge. Here is the website where you can listen to the mp3 audio file or download a written PDF version: Gospel for Those Broken by the Church
Dr. Rod Rosenbladt
After listening to or reading this material, what do you think about what Dr. Rosenbladt said? Dave and I can relate to what he says because that has been our experience with church.
I don't have time to download the printed version tonight, but the topic sounds interesting to me, Carol. We very nearly left our church here in Tumwater last fall because we felt like we were being made to feel unworthy. We decided to stick with it after feeling a nudge by God to do so. We're glad we did because our Pastor (at that time) left our church in June of this year. We now have another Pastor who came to us from Washougle (spelling?). Our former Pastor went to east Vancouver, WA. Nice post tonight.
ReplyDeleteI haven't listened to the lecture yet because our aircard is being extremely slow and has been for the past few weeks. Maybe the heat????
ReplyDeleteAnyway I am going to take my laptop to LaGrange and sit at McDonalds and listen. It would be much much faster.
I bet Mike and I can relate though!! We have had some very sad encounters at churches and quite frankly it feels very defeating. I am anxious to hear what he has to say. Thanks for sharing with us. I will let you know what I think when I listen.
Mike & Gerri (happytrails)
We always feel quite welcome at our church. There's no yelling about fire and brimstone -- nor is it denied to exist, of course. There is constant encouragement to be the example iof God's love to others, even if they don't believe the same way we do.
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