wandering thoughts

I have not posted anything for a while and it wasn't a lack of subjects to broach but more so there were too many things that stirred me up this past week. Just when I think I've heard every twisted story possible about church in Brantford, another story comes along. It makes it hard to stick to my own rules and remain constructive in this conversation. I'll try. One thing that I have come to notice is the difficulty that a pastor must have in communicating the truth to the congregation. Taking for granted that the pastor is well versed in sound biblical doctrine, which many today are not, how many congregations really care about
sanctification,regeneration,substitution or even salvation. I got to wondering about salvation once years ago and so I did a very long study on it before approaching a very Godly pastor. He kindly confirmed much of what I'd found and suggested that many would not want to know these things. Just for fun I approached the elders of the church and asked them individually what salvation was. None of them could give any answer that was even in the ballpark. I later attended a men's fellowship meeting and when I could not find anyone interested in discussing Christ as opposed to hockey I soon left that fellowship. Church was supposed to be where we came together and shared Christ within us,the nature that His Spirit imbued us with to teach and encourage each other.
Really it is the centrality of Christ that marks a true fellowship. Does the fellowship focus on healings, or blessings or better and better worship or does it focus on dying to self and being filled with Christ and being transformed by that into the true church. Does it pray for external manifestation or internal victory over self. Does your church put it's value in Heaven or in a big building with a sound system? I'm just talkin' here.
later...............................dave