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Patrick:
3 Deacons, 1 pastors daughter that has a son in Seminary, 5 Sunday School teachers, a missionary going to Africa, tithers, hell believers, family and friends in Heaven, parents teaching the children that Jesus was born on Dec 25th.
That's what I experience every Christmas when I go visit my family.
I pray to God that I don't get the holier than thou attitude, and I had a real difficult time this year. It was very stressful for me.
My sister-in-laws dad died a few months ago and at the funeral the pastor started talking about how he is fishing and hunting in Heaven, well it came up again. His widow passed out a poem about it during the unwrapping of presents. I could only get thru 2 paragraphs before I put it back in the stack (while nobody was watching).
Well, my step-dad (a Deacon) is having some issues with the new pastor and my Mom told him about me going to the B-T conferences. He started asking questions about the return of Jesus, Heaven, tithing, and somehow we got on the Hell topic. It did not matter what I said, he could not see/hear what I was saying. I mentioned that I could email him some articles from B-T's and he refused the offer. OK, that's fine with me. I know God is in control.
Well, he mentioned our conversation to my sister-in-law, so she cornered me and wanted to know why I did not think her dad was in Heaven. I offered to get my Bible from the car, but she stated I could make the Bible say anything I wanted. ???
The conversation ended with "I don't care what anyone says, I know my Dad is in Heaven!" Before I could stop myself, the words "well I guess the Resurrection of the dead when Christ returns is a load of crap then!"
You could see the fire and tears in her eyes.
I could not wait to "get out of Dodge"; it was very uncomfortable for me the next day. So, I just stayed away from everyone and spent the rest of my time with God in the mountains of Ruidoso, NM. before my 8 hr drive back to AZ.
I really don't want to spend another holiday around them, but my Mom is in her 70's and complains that I only see her 4 days/year, and my step dad is battling prostate cancer.
You folks are the only ones I can speak with, so thanks for reading.
   
 

gmik:
Oh Patrick....what an ordeal!

I spent Eve w/ bunch of relatives--I never mention anything, nobody ever asks.
Keep it nice and shallow, lots of laughs, eating, and watching all the babies.

Then Christmas day, only had my own children and their spouses, kids,etc.  Again, just silly, light hearted...no mention of anything to do w/ Jesus or Bible stuff.

If I hear anything like "oh, that was their choice, they didn't have to do that..." I never say anything. or "he's in heaven right now" again I just don't say anything.

But hey, thats just me.  I know the Lord leads us each .

I just felt your pain, Patrick, and tho I didn't have that to deal w/ I still couldn't wait to come to the forum for some relief(refueling too).

brandon h:
I felt your pain as well, Patrick. It's funny because when I was in Babylon I constantly prayed for my brother to start coming to church. Now God has called me out and now he goes every Sunday. It's like we are constantly on other sides of the spectrum. And there's not much to talk about in that area. But like gmik the Lord does not compel me to say anything most of the time. Thanx 4 posting

God Bless

Patrick:
I thought about my post and the circumstances and did not sleep very well last night. This morning a verse popped in my head.
Mat 8:22  But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead.

And as I was doing some Scripture searching, I was lead to this;
Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life

Joh 6:27  Work not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed.
Joh 6:28  They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Akira329:
I totally understand how you feel Patrick!
My dad tells me all the time to go back to church! I tell him if I did I couldn't believe the foolishness being preach out of the pool pit.
So he says just find one the you agree with. Whole point gets lost after that.
Sometimes he tells me the all churches are not perfect and that I should just do what I should do regardless ie. sing in the choir, teach sunday school, go to all the programs(whatever silliness they may be), pay my tithes and offerings........etc.
Its no getting around it. I have yet to give him a full reason because I'll know were it will lead. I haven't been home since June and that was for my brothers funeral.(boy that was hard to! With the preacher trying to avoid saying my brother is going to hell!)
Some day its going to all come out and I will be the center of attention at the dinner table!

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