Get there about 10 minutes early so you can buy a cup of coffee. They run a non-profit, free-trade coffee shop called Taft Street Coffee...it usually gets voted best coffee in town by the Houston Press.
One last question MadMax, I just saw that Ecclesia planted a church in the Clear Lake area. Do you know anything about this church?
No, I don't...but that's right, I forgot that. I got an email about that the other day. It's really new...as is the one they planted in the Woodlands. I'd go check out the one in town, first...and then go from there.
I'll talk to the girlfriend tomorrow, but once I mention the UBC connection, I doubt there will be much of an argument. We'll check out Ecclesia, then go from there. BTW, is this where you attend?
Sorry to hear that. I know of some parishes that try to appeal to different crowds, such as young adults, those seeking guidance to more modern issues, and those that would prefer to find historical evidence to the mysteries of God to further affirm their belief system. I know of some parishes that even do masses entirely in Latin, pushing the envelope past optional all Spanish masses to help minorities. There are a number of unique things to take out of every book to help deliver an answer to questions that may ail you about the mysteries of God. The book of Mark for example is the most raw form of Christ as a man of flesh. There is less of a divine presence to his story, with the fewest miracles done in all of the Gospels. It is the shortest book absent of his story as a child of great wisdom and maturation for his age. Instead Christ is most helpless when he is bound to his suffering and death on the cross. Whereas the book of John portrays Christ in the most divine way. Christs allows the people to torture him. Christ allows his death on the cross to occur. It is all of his will instead of the will of the people where He is more inclined to be helpless to his suffering. In the book of John, Christ performs the most miracles of any of the Gospels, and is in control of his role for humanity the entire way through. So one Gospel portrays Christ in his most raw and human form, and the other retells Christ's life as a more divine and Godly figure. This further conveys the unity of the Holy Trinity and mystery how one presence can offer synergy with the other two despite still being separate in its own right. And there are similar things to take out of all the books, and those omitted from the Bible as well. Really its best to research everything Christian, and everything not, because if anything it further defines and affirms your faith. It's always good to question. It's always good to seek answers that may lead to further questions no one can fully answer. Heck its even good to take a break from it until you can find a true devotion to identify your faith. I know I was a cynic at one point due to some hardships in my life, but I always believed. I just appreciate it more than ever now that its of my own will to follow a religion I truly believe is a right path to follow. Perhaps if I were of a different cultural background raised under an Islamic belief system, or a different denomination, I might sing a different tune, but even then despite the contradictions of each religion, even among those that are Christian, its still the same God reaching out to them, so I see no reason to judge. This does not contradict that I think Catholicism is the right religion to follow per se, but again being Christ like through charitable and selfless acts to benefit your fellow man more is better than any exterior devotion to whatever parish you participate in. Again enjoy the best of the both worlds if you're self aware and devoted enough to, but if not, continue to live a selfless life when possible. Pardon me if I've become preachy. I hope you find a faith and community that is to your liking.
No...I go there from time to time because I love it and to visit my friends there. But I go to a church very similar to Ecclesia on the west side of town. www.thefom.com
Would that be Salem? I played in the band there when I was in college. We had a rehearsal on the night the Rockets won their first championship. Talk about sacrilege!! The guy wouldn't even let us go early to watch the game. I had to drive back to Huntville at 95 mph just to catch Vernon's game winning 3. That gig didn't last much longer after that...
I believe that the Faith "once and forever delivered to the saints" is a culture, distinctive and different, and is essentially unique and can't be combined or submitted to any other culture without ceasing to be authentic. Unlike the modern church which is largely a reflection of American pop culture, the true faith stands in sharp contrast, if you can find it.
Really interesting. I'd like to discuss with you what that looks like. Figure out exactly what you mean by that. That's probably better as an email discussion, though.
I sent you an email, if you didn't get it, let me know here. Otherwise, I hope to hear from you via email.
