Thanks so much for sharing this!

I remember being excited about my relationship with the Father while in college as a “free-lance Christian”. Then they institutionalized me. Now at the age of 58 I’m beginning to understand what this new life was really meant to be. I’m also starting to understand that passage in Revelation where believers in Ephesus were told to go back to their first love.

Bill

Her:

I can remember being in services, feeling the presence of God moving through the crowd but after a minute, being torn away, getting back to the order of service and on to the offering, announcements, sermon as if the theme was “time is money, let’s keep it moving people.” Growing up with my butt in the pew, I probably experienced more quenching … Read Morethan outpouring of the Spirit.

If I’m sensing God speaking to my heart at the beach or I’m with friends and He starts ministering to us in fellowship, I/ we don’t have to worry that someone is going to rush us on to the next bit of business. That’s freedom, that’s relationship.

Me:

Here’s a question for you: if “order of service” and “offering”, “announcements” and “sermon” faded in their importance to you (for their own sakes)…might it be that you would see that the presence of God didn’t leave after all…but that you simply stood in a place where those things got in the way?

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God won’t come and dwell just because of all of the religious activity…but nothing says He will LEAVE just because of it, either!