Jo, so happy to hear about your two invites to Thanksgiving.
NJ, I am in a similar boat in our church. There is a core group and the pastor who have essentially changed our church from what it has been for decades. It is not a comfortable situation, and I do worry about any support for our own grown-up children should we both pass away together. We both pray about it and for the church. The decision to leave may be out of our hands soon, as the church will have to be sold in a few months unless something changes.
Good morning! The Farmer’s Market took longer to get out of this morning due to holiday shoppers. I bought some yellow squash since son recently said he really enjoyed a squash casserole.
Today I can’t write everything I want because I get blocked. We were supposed to have near record high temps today, but cloud cover will keep us in the mid seventies.
I am glad to hear of Jo getting her invites. It appears I am doing Thanksgiving here this year.
These church issues are all part of fallen earth living. Sunday when son’s girlfriend visited our church, we had communion. Of all days, the pastor who does not usually do communion, said only those who have been immersed for baptism can take communion. Son’s girlfriend is in a denomination that sprinkled for baptism. She has a degree from a seminary and could not take communion. As it turned out, none of us picked up the little element cups, so none of us took communion. It was the first time ever I have heard that stipulation in a Baptist church. Awkward!
We have been in several churches that insist on different things in order to take communion. Ours accepts anyone who professes Christ as their Savior. In a past church of our daughter’s, I talked to the pastor (as required) to explain I did accept Christ as my Savior. I haven’t done that since in any church. We take it where we can. I hate sad divisions of believers.
Morning! Cloudy and misty here. Rain and snow are in the forecast but nothing to write home about!
We will be having our Thanksgiving meal here just the three of us. Our introverted isolationist daughter loves the idea! We were invited over to other daughter’s home in town but we politely declined. Last time we were there the grandchildren were obviously bored at our presence and it was awkward. It is best this way. Last year we gathered at my friend’s home as I knew it would most likely be the last year to spend the day with her. This year she will be having her meal in the memory care unit…all so sad as she has always loved a Thanksgiving gathering in her home every year. Change can be so very difficult.
Janice I have never heard of such a requirement at a church before. At our former Reformed church they had the requirement that you be a member but the immersion requirement is new on me! Sad to me that all who profess relationship with Christ are not welcomed.
We are always called for that as well, Jo. We haven’t taken them up on it, mostly because my husband does not want it. My parents did it and it was fine. I am not sure how helpful it was, since my mom never talked about her health. My dad was amazed how long her exam took. (He also completely ignored their advice to add a stair rail on the few steps up to the kitchen.) She never went to the doctor except by ambulance and my sister insisting. My sister did have them to her home and said she learned a lot from them.
We, too, get those calls about home visits and have declined all but the one Art set up for at his office. It really seemed like a waste of time to me. It’s not like seeing the doctor you have known for years in a place that has an exam table and other things for truly checking a person out. It seemed to me that it was more about nosing into people’s home life
Yesterday I had a new delivery experience with Amazon. I was out raking when a tall black athletic looking (and dressed in running attire) guy was running on the street. He entered my driveway near where I was and held up his hand and said he’d leave the small package at my door. His car must have been around the bend because it was not within my sight, and I can see big objects like cars, lol
Janice, I think it’s fair enough to say that a person has to be a baptized church member to partake, or if a church even wants to say a member of a Lutheran church or whatever. I understand that Baptists think that baptism “has to be” by immersion, but surely that’s not a gospel-level requirement. It would be absurd for a church to say you can’t have been immersed if you want to take communion, and that one is also overly precise. It’s one thing to say “you can’t be a member of our church unless you’ve been baptized by immersion” (I don’t like that stipulation, but being raised Baptist myself, I do understand it), but it’s another thing to say “Your baptism is so ‘wrong’ that we won’t count it as baptism at all.”
One of my friends is a pastor’s wife in a baptistic denomination, and she told me that one of the problems with infant baptism is that they have people wanting to join their church who were baptized as babies and aren’t willing to be rebaptized. I finally had to tell her, “Listen, we don’t think that baptism saves anyone, but we do believe baptism is really and truly baptism and doesn’t need to be repeated later in order to ‘stick.'” In the Old Testament, Jews were circumcised as infants, and didn’t need to be recircumcised later when they came to faith for themselves. The same principle applies to baptism; we believe it is the sign of the covenant and doesn’t need to be redone.” And then she understood, though of course I didn’t expect her to agree.
I’d have more sympathy for saying you have to have been baptized after coming to personal faith and not before; specifying the mode of baptism is just picky. (And for the record, I don’t agree with my own denomination’s requirements for communion, either. They require a conversation with the pastor ahead of time; my husband was an elder in what is accepted to be a sister denomination, and yet he had to have an interview with the pastor before partaking.)
Wandering Views 
Jo, so happy to hear about your two invites to Thanksgiving.
NJ, I am in a similar boat in our church. There is a core group and the pastor who have essentially changed our church from what it has been for decades. It is not a comfortable situation, and I do worry about any support for our own grown-up children should we both pass away together. We both pray about it and for the church. The decision to leave may be out of our hands soon, as the church will have to be sold in a few months unless something changes.
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Good morning! The Farmer’s Market took longer to get out of this morning due to holiday shoppers. I bought some yellow squash since son recently said he really enjoyed a squash casserole.
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Today I can’t write everything I want because I get blocked. We were supposed to have near record high temps today, but cloud cover will keep us in the mid seventies.
I am glad to hear of Jo getting her invites. It appears I am doing Thanksgiving here this year.
These church issues are all part of fallen earth living. Sunday when son’s girlfriend visited our church, we had communion. Of all days, the pastor who does not usually do communion, said only those who have been immersed for baptism can take communion. Son’s girlfriend is in a denomination that sprinkled for baptism. She has a degree from a seminary and could not take communion. As it turned out, none of us picked up the little element cups, so none of us took communion. It was the first time ever I have heard that stipulation in a Baptist church. Awkward!
LikeLiked by 3 people
We have been in several churches that insist on different things in order to take communion. Ours accepts anyone who professes Christ as their Savior. In a past church of our daughter’s, I talked to the pastor (as required) to explain I did accept Christ as my Savior. I haven’t done that since in any church. We take it where we can. I hate sad divisions of believers.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Morning! Cloudy and misty here. Rain and snow are in the forecast but nothing to write home about!
We will be having our Thanksgiving meal here just the three of us. Our introverted isolationist daughter loves the idea! We were invited over to other daughter’s home in town but we politely declined. Last time we were there the grandchildren were obviously bored at our presence and it was awkward. It is best this way. Last year we gathered at my friend’s home as I knew it would most likely be the last year to spend the day with her. This year she will be having her meal in the memory care unit…all so sad as she has always loved a Thanksgiving gathering in her home every year. Change can be so very difficult.
Janice I have never heard of such a requirement at a church before. At our former Reformed church they had the requirement that you be a member but the immersion requirement is new on me! Sad to me that all who profess relationship with Christ are not welcomed.
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Waiting on the furnace guy…..
The fun never ends.
Feeling less sore today, thanks for praying.
Aj
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Am, I purchased a broom and dustpan combo with a tall handle so I can easily sweep
a little thing but it really helps
Aj. Sorry
jo
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just got called by my health insurance. They wanted to send someone to my house to go over my health. I said no
no way I want a stranger in my home
jo
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Seems intrusive doesn’t it Jo? Not a good look for a business in my estimation. We have been in that situation before and told them no as well.
Furnace woes no fun in November! Been there done that on the coldest day in a December! Praying it gets fixed quickly!! 🥶
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We are always called for that as well, Jo. We haven’t taken them up on it, mostly because my husband does not want it. My parents did it and it was fine. I am not sure how helpful it was, since my mom never talked about her health. My dad was amazed how long her exam took. (He also completely ignored their advice to add a stair rail on the few steps up to the kitchen.) She never went to the doctor except by ambulance and my sister insisting. My sister did have them to her home and said she learned a lot from them.
Sorry to hear you have another problem, AJ.
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The chimney is being cleaned right now, some birds and a nest or two the furnace was already serviced and good to go.
So not too bad.
—-
Jo,
I need to get one of those….
Aj
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We, too, get those calls about home visits and have declined all but the one Art set up for at his office. It really seemed like a waste of time to me. It’s not like seeing the doctor you have known for years in a place that has an exam table and other things for truly checking a person out. It seemed to me that it was more about nosing into people’s home life
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yesterday I had a new delivery experience with Amazon. I was out raking when a tall black athletic looking (and dressed in running attire) guy was running on the street. He entered my driveway near where I was and held up his hand and said he’d leave the small package at my door. His car must have been around the bend because it was not within my sight, and I can see big objects like cars, lol
LikeLiked by 2 people
Janice, I think it’s fair enough to say that a person has to be a baptized church member to partake, or if a church even wants to say a member of a Lutheran church or whatever. I understand that Baptists think that baptism “has to be” by immersion, but surely that’s not a gospel-level requirement. It would be absurd for a church to say you can’t have been immersed if you want to take communion, and that one is also overly precise. It’s one thing to say “you can’t be a member of our church unless you’ve been baptized by immersion” (I don’t like that stipulation, but being raised Baptist myself, I do understand it), but it’s another thing to say “Your baptism is so ‘wrong’ that we won’t count it as baptism at all.”
One of my friends is a pastor’s wife in a baptistic denomination, and she told me that one of the problems with infant baptism is that they have people wanting to join their church who were baptized as babies and aren’t willing to be rebaptized. I finally had to tell her, “Listen, we don’t think that baptism saves anyone, but we do believe baptism is really and truly baptism and doesn’t need to be repeated later in order to ‘stick.'” In the Old Testament, Jews were circumcised as infants, and didn’t need to be recircumcised later when they came to faith for themselves. The same principle applies to baptism; we believe it is the sign of the covenant and doesn’t need to be redone.” And then she understood, though of course I didn’t expect her to agree.
I’d have more sympathy for saying you have to have been baptized after coming to personal faith and not before; specifying the mode of baptism is just picky. (And for the record, I don’t agree with my own denomination’s requirements for communion, either. They require a conversation with the pastor ahead of time; my husband was an elder in what is accepted to be a sister denomination, and yet he had to have an interview with the pastor before partaking.)
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