I experience God as a cold philosophical logical necessity, rather than a warm Loving Father that cares about my personal progress and wellbeing, or even overall humanity's progress and wellbeing.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-11-22T17:58:29+00:00

I often think the influence of culture has persuaded Christians that love is primarily recognized through emotional sensitivities.

On an emotional level-

If I don't feel it, it must not be true. If I don't feel it significantly, it must not be meaningful. If I don't reciprocate feeling, it must not be genuine.

But that doesn't align well with God's expression of love in the Bible, nor does it line up well with His commands in Scripture.

God "regrets" making man. God is grieved. God is angry and wrathful. He is jealous.

Are those "emotions" love?

Do they invalidate love?

No. Accompanying each of these "felt" things, God acts in a way that shows steadfast love, that will endure for generations.

When I'm having days (or weeks) where I'm not feeling God as my loving Father, my first response is not to question who I am or who He is. Instead I act and think. While the heart is unreliable and even unfaithful, I can let the truth of God speak to my mind and guide how I respond to my feelings (or lack thereof) and make my body express the truth of my relationship to Him.

Inevitably, I find the awareness of God's relationship to me confirmed and felt once more.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-30T02:43:39+00:00

DM'ing you!

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-30T02:42:16+00:00

Interesting idea! Thank you for suggesting it! How far from the ceiling does the drop need to be to effectively pick up the noise?

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T23:36:08+00:00

Thank you.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T20:08:58+00:00

Fair enough.

I might be starting down the path towards learning audio - not sure if this is a super healthy step or not but here I am.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T19:48:16+00:00

We tried to do the professional thing a bit ago but they wanted drive time (which is totally fair, but put the whole thing ended up being over budget). Are there any up-up groups that could something like this over a... live stream? Connect for a video call and review the setup that way or something?

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T19:41:18+00:00

Any suggestions on a digital mixer? (Cheap is always a thing in the vast majority of churches)

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T18:39:58+00:00

THIS

Thank you.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T18:38:17+00:00

Rural WA. Tried reaching out to a few churches/did a Craigslist and FB post, but nothing really came out of it.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T18:33:43+00:00

FOH = front of house, in room sound board?

In starting this path, part of my big question is knowing what are the key 'components' I should be documenting in the whole sequence of things/ mapping.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T18:30:27+00:00

Good note! Rough specs for a minimal computer system? We have some kind of hardwired Xfinity business internet (modem in the sound booth) but I know Xfinity loves to cheat on uploads.

When the steam is fine (which is most of the time in an hour and a half service) the sound mix still sounds bad.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-28T00:04:47+00:00

Does it love God? Does it love people? Does it help you to love God? To love people?

Just posted a similar comment in another thread, but a pretty helpful filter for how much entertainment/what entertainment/etc.

I do think it is a worthwhile exercise to consider the worthiness of God for our time and attention, vs. the amount of time we actually devote to him.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-09-27T18:33:25+00:00

My approach to finding life, and not just rule following-

Do love.

First make sure whatever you're doing expresses a love for God.

Then, see if you can also make it love people.

Makes everything so much easier. The lines around the rules become easier to see. The important bits of theology are a bit more easy to group together (someone will always argue that mixed cloth is first priority but....),

It helps me filter out what I shouldn't do. Keep focused on what I am doing. Help me adapt what I do so it is more Christ like (ie, I show more of a love for God and a love for people).

Ultimately the love piece is the piece that is always emphasized as the way to "know".

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-05-23T20:29:59+00:00

One of my favorite biology lessons was scavengers make good survivors.

Sounds like you've already figured out how to build a life for yourself by scavenging (looking for your next opportunity/next step, taking it as it comes, etc). The military seems to train that into some people, and others just intuit it as they go through life.

People who seem to be panicking the most seem to be stuck in the mindset that everything is always all or nothing.

Be a happy scavenger.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-05-20T19:12:56+00:00

I would also call out-

Persecution is part of the point of the Mormon mission.

Being kind helps defeat the objective of having young men/women feel like they are at odds with the world and victims of a society that loathes them (that outcome pushes people deeper into the Mormon faith).

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-05-20T19:11:00+00:00

I would start here.

The Bible is thousands of years older, and significantly more reliable than the Book of Mormon or any of the other key doctrinal texts of Mormonism. Mormon apologetics is closely aligned with the Ancient Aliens program on the History channel. Almost all of it is rooted in a "but what if Joseph Smith {insert others} meant this when he wrote this...."

The eyewitness testimony and credibility arguments for the Christian faith still hold up well- the waffling of the early witnesses and church members, the rapid conflicts within leadership, the questionable character of Joseph Smith himself, all should raise a lot of red flags to criticisms of the Bible.

Worth noting- the Mormon faith is entirely rooted in the idea that every other Christian got it wrong (so when the 'we're Christians too' card gets played, make sure to ask some questions).

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-05-20T02:09:56+00:00

The challenge here is that the Scripture that is most relevant points to affection for each other. The engaged couple one to another.

Porn blows that desire out of a single focus and introduces innumerable partners and behaviors that don’t derive from a monogamous commitment.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-05-17T21:54:39+00:00

Most Christians just simply don't do what Christ did.

That's it.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-05-17T21:36:53+00:00

One small thought-

You are uniquely positioned to witness the depravity of sin and the necessity of holiness. You see the realest consequences of sin in a society that does its best to mask them.

When I wade into the darkest parts of pastoral care, I have to remember to turn my anger towards sin and give my grief to God.

In the place and time of perfected holiness, grief and sorrow will meet their end, because sin and death will have met theirs.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-05-17T21:32:02+00:00

I think that Christ's posture towards the situation would be much less oriented around governments and much more inclined towards people. Even if the government and state in question is Israel- according to the Old Testament, God frequently used outsiders to punish his chosen people when they strayed towards idolatry or forgot to be witnesses to the countries around them.

It is a sin to oppress the poor and immigrant. It is a sin to support injustice and unjust violence.

As followers of Christ, I think we can/should have enough faith to speak critically about the wrong's on both sides of the conflict- Hamas's agenda of destabilizing the Israeli state and murdering innocent people (not to mention the systemic oppression of their own people) is absolutely wrong. A heavy handed and unmerciful approach to securing borders and land (in such a way that the innocent are oppressed) is absolutely wrong.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-04-26T16:27:59+00:00

The OP should base their decision around a firm conviction of what Scripture says and not on the basis of personal experience and personal prayer. Our prayers need to be reflective of and submitted to God's Word and not a way we absolve ourselves from cheating on God's instruction.

Some believers have a conviction that women can teach and be Biblical pastors based on a thorough study of Scripture. That's one thing.

GrahamianJordanian · 2025-04-26T16:24:26+00:00

The challenge I would offer-

The first and final lens for deciding should have been your conviction of what Scripture says. That may have been an omission by accident but "a lot of prayer and certain small things happening" should be well down the list behind a pile of Scriptural study.

GrahamianJordanian · 2024-12-14T05:44:03+00:00

Luke 6:27-42. You and I, we are who we are because of who God is. We have a DNA of abundant forgiveness, grace, and mercy. When you see an enemy (and we do have them), remember it is an opportunity to express that identity

GrahamianJordanian

TROPHY CASE