Sorry for the poor updating friends. I have been busy these last few days and when I have had time to write, I haven't been in the mood. At the moment I am at the Valley Baptist Family Medicine Clinic doing my 1 day of required rotation through here. No I am not skipping out on work. For your information, the physician with whom I was working had to leave early and thus I have a little break before lunch... so relax and enjoy what you are about to read.

So to catch ya'll up, Sunday I was again at los Vecinos church for worship. I think it was the last Sunday we'll be there, since this weekend we do return training at South Padre Island, and then leave on the 29th. The message was centered around drawing near to the Lord and clinging to him. There were a number of scripture references used, but I will not repeat them here. It's interesting to me to see the difference between the churches within the US that I have visited and what they empasize. It almost seems to me - from growing up in a middle-class moderately-sized suburban church and my time at Tenth Pres - that the more affluent churches focus more heavily on doctrine and "living a Christian life." While the smaller, poorer churches I have visited - Spirit and Truth in Philly and los Vecinos here - emphasize mostly loving your neighbor and resting in God. I must acknowledge that this is but a tiny sampling of the churches in the US and I, being only 24, have spent a relatively short time at each. However, as you all should know by now, this will not hinder me in expressing my overly-generalized opinion.

So what is the reason for this difference? Who is right (besides me)? One could argue the difference is due to education. Those who have attained more education tend to have more money, thus congregate at more affluent churches, which then leads the preaching of more doctrine - I don't mean to imply the churchgoers dictate what a pastor preaches, because thats just wrong. So is this a correct assertion of the origins of difference? Is knowing/preaching doctrine bad? Absolutely not! But I think our brothers and sisters at the smaller, more community-driven churches are having a greater impact on their communities than those in churches that focus on doctrine. Why is that? I believe it is due to their focus on how they can serve others, how they can trust more, and how to love in a Christ-like manner. They also have the blessing of being able to regularly exercise these things, although it may not seem a blessing at the time.

Do not walk away from this entry thinking I am trying to rag on bigger, more affluent churches. I am far to young and have far to much to learn to have the capacity to say what is more correct on such a grand scale. But we must ask the question. What is the purpose of the church? Are we not to go out, to preach the Gospel message - not only to others, but also to ourselves - and be witnesses to the world. Then why aren't we? Why are we so self focused, as individuals and a corporate body? And don't use the excuse that you are witnessing at work/school by being a 'good person.' Frank thinks your a good guy, but he doesn't know your a Christian. It is true, actions speak louder than words, but far too many (myself included) for far too long have used this as a crutch for not witnessing outright. Actions are not a replacement of words, but rather should be used alongside them. I have not mastered this in my own life friends and this is only the inner ramblings of a poor sinner who sees the reflection of this in his own life.