Comments for 17Seeds http://17seeds.org sowing seeds of reconciliation Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:03:40 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on “Oneness Embraced” by Linda http://17seeds.org/oneness-embraced/#comment-417 Linda Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:03:40 +0000 http://17seeds.org/?p=1381#comment-417 Myesha, thanks for stopping by and leaving such a passionate response. I just love your spirit. May God's fire for true biblical oneness continue to burn and spread, in and around you. Bless you, sister. Spread the word about Dr. Evan's new book. Thanks. Myesha, thanks for stopping by and leaving such a passionate response. I just love your spirit. May God’s fire for true biblical oneness continue to burn and spread, in and around you. Bless you, sister. Spread the word about Dr. Evan’s new book. Thanks.

]]> Comment on “Oneness Embraced” by Myesha http://17seeds.org/oneness-embraced/#comment-416 Myesha Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:48:23 +0000 http://17seeds.org/?p=1381#comment-416 At long last - The message of Oneness in the Christian church. I attended OCBF church for about 7 years while in college in Dallas and I have to say that it was one of the most bountiful, passion-filled times in my life. A few years back I moved back to my hometown - and I was approached with this doctrine of Oneness outside of Christianity. I loved the message so much that it has caught and held my attention. When I reflect why, I know it is because of the blatant contradictions of Christianity. Love Your Brother is what we preach and teach.... but the church is the ultimate display of hypocrisy, we are divided, intolerable of one another- different worships styles, color lines, etc. All rubbish to me. I want to love people beyond color lines, beyond worship styles, beyond religion ( can't wear pants in church, must stand when the choir enters, no clapping to loud, no singing to loud, if you don't sing or shout loud enough you must not love God, if you are too loud you are not holy and you can't hear from God - the black church is too loud, the white church is too quiet, the rich people go there, the poor people go there) So you see, meeting folk who were uninterested in any of the formalities of religion, but instead reaching the heart of God with whomever is willing to come presents what looks like a real opportunity for Freedom in Love. This book is timely, relevant and oh so needed! At long last – The message of Oneness in the Christian church. I attended OCBF church for about 7 years while in college in Dallas and I have to say that it was one of the most bountiful, passion-filled times in my life. A few years back I moved back to my hometown – and I was approached with this doctrine of Oneness outside of Christianity. I loved the message so much that it has caught and held my attention. When I reflect why, I know it is because of the blatant contradictions of Christianity. Love Your Brother is what we preach and teach…. but the church is the ultimate display of hypocrisy, we are divided, intolerable of one another- different worships styles, color lines, etc. All rubbish to me. I want to love people beyond color lines, beyond worship styles, beyond religion ( can’t wear pants in church, must stand when the choir enters, no clapping to loud, no singing to loud, if you don’t sing or shout loud enough you must not love God, if you are too loud you are not holy and you can’t hear from God – the black church is too loud, the white church is too quiet, the rich people go there, the poor people go there)
So you see, meeting folk who were uninterested in any of the formalities of religion, but instead reaching the heart of God with whomever is willing to come presents what looks like a real opportunity for Freedom in Love. This book is timely, relevant and oh so needed!

]]> Comment on “Oneness Embraced” by Linda http://17seeds.org/oneness-embraced/#comment-349 Linda Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:07:50 +0000 http://17seeds.org/?p=1381#comment-349 Hi, Edward. Talk about a small world. That was quite a night with Dr. Evans, wasn't it? I'm glad you came by my blog. I've been away from Raleigh so long, I'm not sure about churches. My husband and I attended Providence Baptist for many years. When we started it was predominantly white but over time it was starting to change 'complexion' a little. ps. Feel free to email me off-loop with churches you've visited. Thanks. Hi, Edward. Talk about a small world. That was quite a night with Dr. Evans, wasn’t it? I’m glad you came by my blog.
I’ve been away from Raleigh so long, I’m not sure about churches. My husband and I attended Providence Baptist for many years. When we started it was predominantly white but over time it was starting to change ‘complexion’ a little.

ps. Feel free to email me off-loop with churches you’ve visited. Thanks.

]]> Comment on “Oneness Embraced” by Edward Brown http://17seeds.org/oneness-embraced/#comment-346 Edward Brown Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:31:21 +0000 http://17seeds.org/?p=1381#comment-346 OMG! I was at the same rally at NC State. I had a copy of the tape but have misplaced it. Dr. Evans opened with a powerful story of the man and wife who had moved into a new home and began to experience cracks in the walls. Long story short, the cracks were the result of a shifting foundation. Keep up this good work. I found this blog from a childhood friend of mine, Tracey Lewis-Giggetts. I am in Raleigh now and am looking for a church home. Any suggestions would be helpful. OMG! I was at the same rally at NC State. I had a copy of the tape but have misplaced it. Dr. Evans opened with a powerful story of the man and wife who had moved into a new home and began to experience cracks in the walls. Long story short, the cracks were the result of a shifting foundation. Keep up this good work. I found this blog from a childhood friend of mine, Tracey Lewis-Giggetts. I am in Raleigh now and am looking for a church home. Any suggestions would be helpful.

]]> Comment on “The Integrated Church” by Linda http://17seeds.org/the-integrated-church/#comment-344 Linda Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:28:39 +0000 http://17seeds.org/?p=1392#comment-344 Thanks, Neil. I appreciate the blog visit. Boy, I wish I could come to Indy in October. We'll see. Bless y'all. Thanks, Neil. I appreciate the blog visit. Boy, I wish I could come to Indy in October. We’ll see. Bless y’all.

]]> Comment on “The Integrated Church” by IndyChristian http://17seeds.org/the-integrated-church/#comment-343 IndyChristian Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:18:03 +0000 http://17seeds.org/?p=1392#comment-343 Nicely done, Linda. Thanks for the tweet-alert. [Hope to see you in Oct, when CCDA (.org) comes to Indy!] Nicely done, Linda. Thanks for the tweet-alert.

[Hope to see you in Oct, when CCDA (.org) comes to Indy!]

]]> Comment on Authors and Diversity by Linda http://17seeds.org/authors-and-diversity/#comment-270 Linda Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:54:31 +0000 http://llhargrove.com/?p=1101#comment-270 Hi, Kate. Thanks for dropping by 17Seeds. Please forgive my lag in replying. (I recently relocated and am playing a slow game of catch-up). Your comments are extremely thought provoking. I think it is human nature for everyone to have regional prejudices and biases (and a whole array of 'isms'). Not to say that is good but knowing that is the case, as you say, we should watch ourselves and be more careful, especially as Christians, the light of the world. Thanks again. Blessings of grace and healing to you. Hi, Kate. Thanks for dropping by 17Seeds. Please forgive my lag in replying. (I recently relocated and am playing a slow game of catch-up).

Your comments are extremely thought provoking. I think it is human nature for everyone to have regional prejudices and biases (and a whole array of ‘isms’). Not to say that is good but knowing that is the case, as you say, we should watch ourselves and be more careful, especially as Christians, the light of the world. Thanks again. Blessings of grace and healing to you.

]]> Comment on Where are all the black people? by Linda http://17seeds.org/where-are-all-the-black-people/#comment-269 Linda Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:47:02 +0000 http://llhargrove.com/?p=928#comment-269 Thanks for dropping by, Tom. Your comment reminds me of the old saying that 'the best things in life aren't things.' Or expensive, for that matter. Amen! Thanks for dropping by, Tom. Your comment reminds me of the old saying that ‘the best things in life aren’t things.’ Or expensive, for that matter. Amen!

]]> Comment on Where are all the black people? by Tom kilian http://17seeds.org/where-are-all-the-black-people/#comment-268 Tom kilian Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:27:34 +0000 http://llhargrove.com/?p=928#comment-268 I love your line " My parents had slowly brainwashed me into believing that it was okay for blacks to enjoy the ocean, " I would say the same about roadside tables and private owned cafes. I had always felt like folks have forsaken the truth that the best things in life are free. ( or inexpensive) now we are losing ma and pop cafes to chain restaurants and have to pay museum and aquarium fees so they can compete with the theme park mentality. So we can all relate to this western diagetic mindset . I love your line ” My parents had slowly brainwashed me into believing that it was okay for blacks to enjoy the ocean, ”

I would say the same about roadside tables and private owned cafes. I had always felt like folks have forsaken the truth that the best things in life are free. ( or inexpensive) now we are losing ma and pop cafes to chain restaurants and have to pay museum and aquarium fees so they can compete with the theme park mentality. So we can all relate to this western diagetic mindset .

]]> Comment on Authors and Diversity by Kate {The Parchment Girl} http://17seeds.org/authors-and-diversity/#comment-251 Kate {The Parchment Girl} Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:13:29 +0000 http://llhargrove.com/?p=1101#comment-251 Your solution is spot-on, and I think that we all have areas where we need to grow and open ourselves up to experiencing diversity. I grew up attending Christian schools in the greater Boston area where there was a lot of racial diversity. Two of my closest friends were Korean and Haitian, and in general there was no racial tension in my immediate community, so I pretty much grew up colorblind. Then I moved to Richmond when I was in 8th grade, which is pretty much a pocket of deep-southern culture in the not-so-deep south. I was shocked when I walked into the lunchroom of my new school and saw 99% of the school's black students clustered at a set of tables in the middle of the room completely separate from everyone else. It felt so wrong to me. But I came to realize through that experience that even though I wasn't racist like so many people around me, I was a prejudiced regionalist! I grew up in the Massachusetts bubble that generally scoffs at southern culture, accents, etc. and adopted the practice of rolling my eyes at people who drank sweet tea, said "ya'll," and actually smiled and (heaven forbid) said "hi" when I passed them on the street. It didn't help that upon arriving in our new neighborhood a woman in my mother's new Bible study who was obviously a regionalist as well commented to the group that "Mary (my mom) assures me that there are Christians up north." Say what?! I took that boneheaded statement and assumed that all southerners walked around with thoughts like that swirling in their heads. Needless to say, I've learned a lot in the years since my culture shock, but the fact that I was so blind to my own regional prejudice taught me that I have to watch myself and be careful of judging people in my heart based on unfair and unbiblical criteria. I hope that Christian authors will begin incorporate more diverse characters and cultures into their fiction and that Christian publishers will recognize the need for diversity in fiction and start acting on it! Your solution is spot-on, and I think that we all have areas where we need to grow and open ourselves up to experiencing diversity. I grew up attending Christian schools in the greater Boston area where there was a lot of racial diversity. Two of my closest friends were Korean and Haitian, and in general there was no racial tension in my immediate community, so I pretty much grew up colorblind. Then I moved to Richmond when I was in 8th grade, which is pretty much a pocket of deep-southern culture in the not-so-deep south. I was shocked when I walked into the lunchroom of my new school and saw 99% of the school’s black students clustered at a set of tables in the middle of the room completely separate from everyone else. It felt so wrong to me. But I came to realize through that experience that even though I wasn’t racist like so many people around me, I was a prejudiced regionalist! I grew up in the Massachusetts bubble that generally scoffs at southern culture, accents, etc. and adopted the practice of rolling my eyes at people who drank sweet tea, said “ya’ll,” and actually smiled and (heaven forbid) said “hi” when I passed them on the street. It didn’t help that upon arriving in our new neighborhood a woman in my mother’s new Bible study who was obviously a regionalist as well commented to the group that “Mary (my mom) assures me that there are Christians up north.” Say what?! I took that boneheaded statement and assumed that all southerners walked around with thoughts like that swirling in their heads.

Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot in the years since my culture shock, but the fact that I was so blind to my own regional prejudice taught me that I have to watch myself and be careful of judging people in my heart based on unfair and unbiblical criteria. I hope that Christian authors will begin incorporate more diverse characters and cultures into their fiction and that Christian publishers will recognize the need for diversity in fiction and start acting on it!

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