Really great post.

Faith is hard....fair weather faith is easy.

I try to think I am not a fair weather type but there are days when I really am...hard to admit but it is easy to blame and not hold yourself accountable.

Good lesson!

You will be one fit Aussie if you Kayak that!

lol...this just really cracked me up

I can agree...and I think looking at it corporately is what usually should be done.

In terms of "submitting" to a senior Pastors leadership or find another church? I think the people make the church and that one should not worship based on a certain Pastor but on the fact that it is a tribute to God. At that point, the Church is the People. Those people or congregation, should make sure through the elders, to hire a Senior Pastor who reflects what excites them about their search and following of God. So I don't necessarily think a congregation should submit or leave. I think they should but a community that is led but someone with similar values. Now, if the bulk of the community sees one direction as the way to go and you do not, absolutely you should leave and find a new church family.

The one thing beautiful about church (at least in the states) is that we have a lot of choices. One that works for just about everyone. Even the crazy people :)

So true...

One thing though...there are many of us who worship through music and look forward to that inspiration it provides.
If the senior Pastors in a church choose only what they like or want, and the congregation is not inspired, than they have not done their jobs well.
I understand we do not go to church to be entertained, but we do go to celebrate and be inspired. Music sure helps that!

Interesting timing in that I just had this discussion with a friend the other day.

In the US I am finding it harder to be a Christian in terms of getting criticized for it. Although Bible Studies are still common place in the Starbucks, I find more and more articles that use the term "Religious Right" as a general term in lieu of a extremist far right term.

It was not too long ago I wrote something on my blog in fact that criticized something Obama did (Cash for Clunkers)...nothing huge, just an observation. I received an email from someone who read it calling me a "Radical Right Wing Religious Nut"....ooohhhh...I thought....I simply did not agree with the program for many reasons, primarily the idea that my tax money was going to buy new cars for people who could not afford them. I do not hate Obama for the program, just disagree with bailing out every single entity in the states.
This hit me hard because I am really a strong independent politically speaking and have given credit where credit is due for Obama and Bush. I have also criticized both as well.
What I find most notibly irritating about all of this is when a Christian in the states is publically criticized it is freedom of speech which I am ok with. When a non-Christian is challenged or criticized it is published as racism or discrimination of some sort.

In fact I think I got completely off the point.

Oh well...not erasing now :)

OK, I am way off on a tangent when I wanted to simply say..nice post :)