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Electra
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2002
Total Posts : 611

Posted 7/29/2002 7:04 AM (GMT -6)

It was great to meet Empiress this weekend. She stopped by Woodland Hills on her way to Washington state. She had a very interesting perspective on our liturgical space and worship style. I’m looking forward to exploring these topics more once she gets settled again in Washington. What can “low church” learn from “high church” and vice versa? Thanks for stopping by, Empiress! Electra

~·• kyrie eleison ·~•~· christe eleison ·~•~· kyrie eleison •·~

Semeia
Registered Member

Date Joined Aug 2001
Total Posts : 522

Posted 7/29/2002 12:15 PM (GMT -6)

It was so great to finally meet you Empiress! It's wonderful to meet you in person after having so many interesting conversations online. And your warmth and intelligence shone through even after surviving three classes in four weeks for nine credits! Congratulations Empiress!

I hope you had a safe drive back. (It started raining cats and dogs here after you left - I hope you didn't have to go through any of that.) When you are rested up I hope you can rejoin us on the board. Your contribution has been missed.

And definitely let us know when you are coming back through to defend your thesis - or for any other reason. It was a pleasure to meet you!

Love,
Semeia

"The opposite of sin is not virtue, but faith."--Soren Kierkegaard

Springs
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 636

Posted 7/29/2002 2:57 PM (GMT -6)

It was indeed a pleasure to meet you Empiress!

You were even more charming in person. I enjoyed learning a little more about you. Now I have the urge to call you the Divine Darlin' Miss E.

When we were discussing how WHC's lack of an ornate pulpit conveys the message that we are a priesthood of belivers, and its lack of sacred architecture reminds people that the church is not a building but is made up of the people, Iconoclast added that meeting God at Woodland teaches us that we don't have to go to a temple to meet God, we can meet him at K-Mart!

Very fun.

We didn't come to a concensus on why the focal point is a drum set though... hmmm maybe the Doc can enlighten us on that one.

Springs

...but I have called you friends... Jn 15:15

GregBoyd
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 1818

Posted 7/29/2002 5:38 PM (GMT -6)

So sorry I missed you Empiress. I feel cheated. Next time for sure.

And drums are THE focal point cuz everybody with an ounce of spirituality KNOWs that they are key to inviting the Spirit into our gathering. God's GOT RYTHMN.

peace

Greg

"In Christ...the ONLY THING that matters is faith energized by love." Galatians 5:6

Empiress
Registered Member

Date Joined Jan 2002
Total Posts : 363

Posted 8/1/2002 7:11 AM (GMT -6)

Wow!

What a wonderful group of people you are over there at Woodland Hills! I, a complete internet-stranger, felt so welcomed and uplifted by you guys...Electra, Springs, Modes, Churchmouse, Semeia, and Icon....thank you!! I have been singing your praises since I left!

And I am sorry I missed Doc and his preaching! Icon says it's even more passionate than Efram's....and I was totally blown away by him so it's hard to imagine it!

I'd love to get talking about, as Electra mentioned, "What can “low church” learn from “high church” and vice versa?"

I hope I can be on the board a bit more now too.

I did make it home safely, but Minnesota gave me a bit of hell before leaving...I had a few hours of very heavy rain, tornado warnings (which I have no idea what to do in!), and flash flood warnings! Yikes. I was gripping my steering wheel white knuckled and wondering whether it was too soon to take you guys up on all your generous offers to stay with you! But I was too scared to turn around so I kept going forward and prayed...until it finally cleared. And when it did...the sun peered through the clouds shining down thousands of individual beams of light upon the wet and glowing green earth...it looked just like the cover of "The Knowledge of the Holy" by AW Tozer. Soon my car was creating a trail of rainbows as the sun hit the spray of water behind it. It was one of the more interesting drives I've ever had.

Thank you all! I think the drive was worth it just to meet you guys!

Peace,
Empiress

churchmouse522
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 163

Posted 8/1/2002 7:18 AM (GMT -6)

You'll have to come again when you can stay a while and play. I'm glad you got home safely. Blessings...

Mouse

GregBoyd
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 1818

Posted 8/1/2002 7:19 PM (GMT -6)

Hi Empiress, I flew in to Minneapolis right in the middle of the storm, and boy was it a ride! I actually enjoy the roller coaster feeling of having your intestines thrown up against your larnyx, but the Stewardess and some others were pretty freaked out. I thought about standing up in my chair and screaming, "We're all gonna die" and then making an altar call, but I remember I was an open theist who couldn't with integrity leverage an altar call on a contingency in the future. So I just sat back and enjoyed the roller coaster.

Next time Empiress. Maybe I'll try on a robe and we can use some liturgy, incense and holy water just to make you feel at home.

surrounded by his love

Greg

"In Christ...the ONLY THING that matters is faith energized by love." Galatians 5:6

Tom
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353

Posted 8/1/2002 8:38 PM (GMT -6)

quote:
Soon my car was creating a trail of rainbows as the sun hit the spray of water behind it.

Empiress-

Mephi and I want to ask you: What did the rainbows mean to you? How did you interpret them? Did Genesis 9 and God's promise to Noah come to mind at all?

Glad you got through the storm OK.

I've had two dreams about visiting Woodland hills. Last night I dreamt that I came to the church on a Saturday evening. Don't know why. Nobody was there but the janitor. There were no chairs set up. So I offered to help him start setting up chairs. Then a couple walked in. He was wearing a military uniform. The wife extended her hand to shake mine. I was afraid the take her hand. So I made some lame excuse about have bursitis. Then Doc and some others came in. Doc hugged me to tightly my ribs hurt. Then he said, "You're in jeans. You're not planning on speaking in jeans are you?" Then I woke up.

I can't remember the first dream I had about you all. It was just as weird.

Any Carl Jung fans around who wanna interpret this for me?

Tom

"Every saint has a history and every sinner a future." Oscar Wilde

churchmouse522
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 163

Posted 8/2/2002 8:09 AM (GMT -6)

Sounds like a pretty average day at Woodland to me.

Springs
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 636

Posted 8/3/2002 6:15 AM (GMT -6)

quote:
Last night I dreamt that I came to the church on a Saturday evening. Don't know why. Nobody was there but the janitor. There were no chairs set up. So I offered to help him start setting up chairs. Then a couple walked in. He was wearing a military uniform. The wife extended her hand to shake mine. I was afraid the take her hand. So I made some lame excuse about have bursitis. Then Doc and some others came in. Doc hugged me to tightly my ribs hurt. Then he said, "You're in jeans. You're not planning on speaking in jeans are you?" Then I woke up.

Sometimes our dreams confront us with our fears, so that we can be prepared mentally ahead of time to deal with it. Or maybe God is messin’ with us to see how we will react in certain situations… or you had a burrito before you went to bed.

So here’s my take on it. Your heart’s desire is to visit Woodland. Your fear is that if it becomes possible anything and everything that can go wrong will… So you end up at church on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning and there is no service happening. Your response is to help make it happen. Then the couple walks in… I have no idea why the guy was in uniform (your aversion to the military, his representation of authority, or the fact you saw a guy in uniform the day before) but for consistency sake lets say he would be attired in the direct opposite dress of the clothing you expect to find at Woodland. I’ll skip the woman part, I don’t want to get in trouble… Doc hugged me…ribs hurt… Your unconscious realization that getting close to famous, passionate, worldview challenging people might cause you personal pain. You are in jeans… perhaps you think if you come to Woodland with a desire to just be a participant, they will make you preach. (or perhaps you wouldn’t want to preach in jeans, or you fear that although you would like to believe they are all open and accepting but the fact is when the rubber hits the road, Woodland is filled with people that will judge you, if you preach in jeans.
Howzat?

-S

Edited by - Springs on 08/03/2002 11:17:23 AM

Tom
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353

Posted 8/3/2002 6:41 AM (GMT -6)

OK that's it! I'm facing my fears and finding a way to get to this church.

Springs, you have the gift. The dream was real. My posting it and asking for an interpretation was more a joke than anything. I don't know if your comments were a joke or were intended seriously, but I actually felt God speaking to me. It pretty much hit the mark when I thought about it!

So, since the Spirit is with you, go ahead and tell me what you think my not shaking the lady's hand represented? Nothing will hurt my feelings on this site! Too much love going around.

Tom

"Every saint has a history and every sinner a future." Oscar Wilde

Springs
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 636

Posted 8/3/2002 8:13 AM (GMT -6)

I was serious. Although, not knowing you, makes this very difficult. I should be concentrating on writing my paper about the moral decline in America.

But I’m glad you have gained some insight.

quote:
go ahead and tell me what you think my not shaking the lady's hand represented? Nothing will hurt my feelings on this site!

Okay lets see… concretely, perhaps the woman represents a woman from Woodland that you dread meeting. Or perhaps, metaphysically, it could be a representation of an unconventional doctrine that you can’t endorse.

Like I said this is hard when I don’t know you… but either way I think it represents the idea that you fear you will meet either someone or something that you don’t think you can embrace, and because you are a man of convictions you decline to shake her hand. (see the Bon thread for why using white lies or not expressing opinions can be acceptable responses without being hypocrisy)

Blessings and sweet dreams,

Springs

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. - Prov. 9:10

Tom
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353

Posted 8/3/2002 9:36 AM (GMT -6)

Once again, on the mark.

Tom

"Every saint has a history and every sinner a future." Oscar Wilde

Springs
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 636

Posted 8/3/2002 12:12 PM (GMT -6)

Cool.
Meet ya behind the sound booth.

-S

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. - Prov. 9:10

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