Tuesday, April 1, 2008

A little clarity...

Ok, so after a question or two privately about the previous post, instead of just DELETING it (which I did briefly)...Let me just qualify myself to death here for a sec. I surely do not want to offend anyone EVER though if I step on a toe or two for the Lord, so be it. As long as it is for the Lord...

The problem with blogging is of course, you become personally invested with the blog...everyone else's too! I have had a HARD time not commenting to death on say, Bonnie's blog (which she knows) so I finally deleted it and just do not read it anymore. Lol

So I know most of the readers here are CC goers so talking about church can be GOOD or bad or not understood by others who don't GO to CC!

So let me just say this, Guys, this is a CLOSED blog for a reason! I really, really (need? wow just got the Holy Spirit check on that one so I will say instead:) that I want to blog what I really truly feel. If it were an open blog I would feel more responsibility to not post some things because who knows who's reading it and I do believe there is SOME responsibility after all in what you write. Lol

So I just want to say that even though I attend church where our beliefs run differently, that does NOT mean that I do not support what they do. I wouldn't say DON'T take your kids to nursery, children's church, etc (duh, since mine are IN there!) and on the other side of it, I would also support if someone did not want to as well. But I would not encourage my own thoughts on this there since that would, I believe, not be in unity with the body. I hush it there but here is where I hopefully am able to expound on the "why's" of what we believe.

We have found a way to attend a church whose teaching we believe, is right for us. WE are the ones having difficulty figuring out the attending with a small child that we do not wish to have in a program. We surely do NOT judge anyone else for it and we truly, deeply appreciate the love and acceptance we have received there despite our differences.
If we can attend and not judge then we have to be able to attend and not BE judged. Isn't it funny that when someone does something differently we always think that the other one is saying we are doing it wrong? Not so!
And even if they do think you are doing it "wrong" the difference between differences in beliefs and judgement is that judgement is when someone says you are "bad" for doing it this way as opposed to saying,"I don't believe that".

I just don't want to have to quit blogging my core beliefs because we are mostly CC goers reading this...

It is actually the MOST non-judgemental church I think I've ever been to! Just wanting to clarify... Remember: You are the core people specifically chosen to be readers here...not because this blog is special, but because YOU are special to ME. I trust you to love me and not judge me because we are different.

Thoughts and comments welcome.

Clunn boot camp for kids open at the end of summer. Haha.

6 comments:

Doug said...

Ok, Steph, as you know, I'm just a happy 'lurker', normally. I get great insight, and encouragement by reading your blog, particularly your applications of the Word. (btw- I agree with others, your gift for exhortation is HUGE. Even if you can't ID that gift, many others can ID it in you!)
At any rate, let me crawl out of my lurking spot, and say publicly that you and Jeff are, for me, the prototypical example of Philippians 2:1-11, in your approach to Calvary Chapel. Paul tells that we can live in harmony in the midst of strong differences of opinions, only by humility, and you guys are proof that it works! I respect you both tremendously, and your decisions as parents, and have never felt a bit of animosity from you, only a difference of opinion, which is what makes life in the body interesting.
Now, I happen to believe that both you and Sloan would be AWESOME in the kids ministry ;) ...but I know you are trusting in the Lord, and He will continue to guide you right where HE wants you.
You guys ROCK!!!!

ann marie said...

Doug, in a private post to Steph I said almost the same thing regarding her gift. Steph, I hope you are beginning to see it for yourself!
I never am offended by what you say and although I do not attend CC and so maybe should not say much on this matter I do agree that it is important for the entire family to be together during Sunday service. I know we can and should pray and study together at home, but it is nourishing in a very different way to be celebrating with the whole church family and it would be a shame if Sloan had to miss that time of learning and spiritual growth. And we know God himself calls us to come together to celebrate.
I love reading you blog because of the very fact that you are so open and honest and hold your beliefs so close to your heart. And it is clear you did not come to those beliefs on a whim, but rather through prayer and thought. I am not into the wishy-washy, change your mind every second mentality, so please, keep telling it like you want to tell it!

Steph C. said...

Thanks guys! Thanks so much...Am, just so you know, no one asked Sloan to go in, Jeff and I had her go in to keep Kate happy..we are rotating so that we do not leave her alone without family which she is not used to. Just ask anyone. Lol Seems like it will work pretty well too! We can help AND no one stays home...which seems to be the best answer for now. Sloan just like it so much and we knew it would be easy for her to always want to do it...we are kid LOVERS around this joint! :0)

ann marie said...

You are too funny. I knew what you meant. I wonder how Maggie would be in a church nursery. Although she is great with Sloan here at home, I do not know what it would be like to leave her with other kids, in a place that wasn't home and where her siblings were not with her. Interesting. There are Sundays where we miss church (don't tell my dad!) because Maggie is napping or I just go alone so Greg can stay with her and I always end feeling weird and not totally okay about it and that is why we just all go together. I am not making judgements on anyone else though and you have to do what feels right for your family.

Steph C. said...

Whew. I'm glad you realized that Am. I felt like I had made it worse! I know EXACTLY how you feel about staying home! I thought "no problem", I am mature enough to stay home....NOT. Lol Too funny! Sometimes I feel like such a BABY Christian still! I don't care! I LOVE CHURCH and won't be all stuffy about it, period! I wanna go too...waaaaaaaaa.
You know the great thing about CC is that I know they wouldn't even ASK us to serve in that capacity out of respect...which of course makes us just want to serve more. Lol
I just cannot believe how much the Lord used yet another m/c to teach me something even BIGGER than a baby about HIM! Being in the nursery that day in the middle of it, just made me realize that I needed to be THERE under WHATEVER circumstances. I think that day, they truly became my FAMILY. sigh. I still have SO MUCH to learn! Am, will you be my best friend? I LOVE YOU!

Tiffany said...

Well said! Blog away, ye shall not be judged...