Miers Gets Standing Ovation at Church

[MindLikeAParachute]

When Cornerstone minister Ron Key called attention to her presence, the 150 worshippers gave her a standing ovation, their claps echoing through the hotel ballroom that temporarily houses the church's weekly services.

Key asked his audience to understand "the crucible of pressure that Harriet is about to be exposed to," acknowledging her arrival after the service began. He called on members to pray for her every day.

The scene marked a stark contrast to the services Miers attended at the Episcopal church, where she wasn't mentioned during an hourlong service she attended with family members.
...
At the same time, he said Miers' dedication to the church made it unsurprising that she made room in her schedule for the Cornerstone service.

"Her faith is, I think, her biggest priority," MacFarlane said. "Today's just a demonstration of it."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051010/ap_on_re_us/miers_church;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-

[wellstone_democrat]

1. Gee, let's see shall we?

That her church which is a highly personalized new congregation undoubtedly tightly bound by their schism recently applauds one of their own. Not to mention that they being evangelical are very much aware of the idea of actively practicing faith in the world in vocal ways. She went to an Episcopal church with relatives and the writer thinks (from the text here) that she was snubbed by comparison. Sorry folks, Episcopalians aren't prone to that sort of public "atta girl" during services. As a rule when one of ours gets a position like that most aren't thinking: "ah, at last, the Episcopal voice is heard, the Episcopal doctrines will be fully animated within US policy!!!"

I'd also ask if the priest even knew she was there but beyond that, what is the big whoop that she "made room in her schedule" to go to her own church? Odder that she went to the Episcopal Church in my mind---and, odder still that non-Church going "Boyfriend Bush*" doesn't usually go to church but does when he's in Maine with Mommy: the Episcopal Church.

What is with these people showing up in my "godless" homosexual-ordaining Episcopal Church? YOu would think they'd avoid us like the fires of hell!

[ret5hd]

2. has anyone discovered the cause of the schism between...

miers' church and the parent church? If so, i haven't seen it discussed. Enlighten me, anyone.

[onenote]

9. this is what the Washington Post said about the split

"Those beliefs were forged at Valley View, but Miers is breaking away from the church where she embraced Jesus. In recent years, church elders have moved to cut back on missionary work, sparking a split this summer among the parishioners. Key is forming a church that plans to donate half its revenues to mission work, and Miers plans to join him.

"These days so many of the churches have become Christian country clubs," Key said. "They are more about making you feel good about yourself than making you grow. Some of us, including Harriet, were uncomfortable with all this."

[ContraBass Black]

11. I would respect those that stay committed to mission.

[daleo]

12. I bet there is more to it.

This seems like it could be cover language for something else. "Missionary work" against abortion clinics maybe? I can't believe a church congregation would break up over how much money is going to water wells in Central America or something like that. There is a story here, if some reporter would just dig it out.

[knitter4democracy]

15. Not suprising, really.

One of the reasons I left my evangelical church was its attitude toward missions. Of course, their problem was racism ("Oh, let's keep sending missionaries to those brown-skinned people decade after decade, even though they have plenty of pastors of their own and plenty of churches" kind of thing), but it's a hot topic in many evangelical churches.

[daleo]

20. I have to confess my ignorance on this point

Having visited churches fairly infrequently, I can't claim to know much about the social psychology of congregations. Still, this seemed like a significant schism (150 or so people).

[knitter4democracy]

22. That would be.

There are many in many churches questioning the need for overseas mission work these days. They see massive need here at home, especially now with Katrina and Rita, and they can't understand why they need to send missionaries to the same countries over and over again.

Others believe that the Second Coming cannot happen until there are Christians in every single nation on earth, so they feel that missions are very important to keep funding. They also see that many (but not all) missionaries do good work among people who are often forgotten by their governments or NGOs, building schools and hospitals and feeding the hungry.

It's a hot button topic that many churches only whisper about and don't really discuss. I had a pastor take me aside after a mission trip I went on and ask me if I thought the money was being well-spent. I had to tell him that I honestly didn't think so, from what I saw. The money would've been better spent if given straight to the locals in charge of the church and not some Americans sent down there without a clear mission. That was my experience, and others are starting to say the same things.

[daleo]

24. Those are interesting insights.

It is rare to get straight explanations like that. It seems like a split between a more reasoned world view and more dogmatic one (help others for the sake of helping vs helping for the sake of bringing on the Second Coming). If I had a vote, I would go with the helping for the sake of helping notion.

[knitter4democracy]

27. Some look at it that way.

It's really complicated, actually. If the missionaries are really helping people in the second and third world, then they should keep getting funding--but that can be hard to determine without first hand knowledge.

It's also more than a dogmatic view; with many, it's also a racist view. They really think that we have to keep sending missionaries to the same countries decade after decade because they think that the locals are incapable of running things themselves and need a North American in there to keep things going smoothly and growing. They just can't see how that's racist, so they stick to the dogma.

[NJCher]

3. I'm so glad I wasn't there

Cher

[0007]

4. Da Church Lady sez that Miers has a hot line to junior and junior

has hot line to God. "How can we lose?" This is better than a boat race. (Fixed horse race)

[underpants]

5. I've always thought it was weird to applaud in church

but then I am not a regular church goer so maybe that whole "House of God" thing is just being overemphasized by me.

[wellstone_democrat]

6. We (Episcopalians) don't tend to in church...

they don't cal us the "frozen chosen" for nothing (although I've heard that label applied to various denominations). We are not that sort of outwardly emotional in our worship. That anyone (writer of article) thinks that Miers should have gotten applause at an Episcopal church shows that he or she doesn't have a clue about the denomination.

First time I went to a more evangelical service with a friend I was scandalized (I was young...) by the "weird" recognition of promotions, someone's new house, and the level of outright politicking during that election season right in the service. The applause for "Bob's " promotion in particular struck me as just bizarre---I'd never seen such a thing in church!

I was a sheltered child.

[ninkasi]

21. So was I, and I wasn't even Episcopalian

The church I attended growing up was United Methodist, and it was fairly restrained, too. I went once as a teenager to one of the fire and brimstone Baptist churches, and never went back again. The friend, who had gone to one of my church services, was scandalized by our recitation of the Affirmation of Faith. I believe it was the mention of the word "catholic" that did it.

[knitter4democracy]

16. Many don't.

Many feel it's not the place to worship men but God instead. Others feel that it's appropriate to show appreciation for a job well done. I've heard many arguments both for and against, but it really comes down to a personal decision and how the pastor leads.

[Megahurtz]

17. You're right....

it seems kinda weird to applaud in church.:wtf:

[hogwyld]

7. This enforces my belief in separation

of church and state. No one can honestly say that her belonging to a cult will not influence her decisions. Maybe in addition to an abortion litmus test, we also need to vet out "believers" as they can have influence over all Amerikans, even those that don't believe.

[realFedUp]

8. So handy to have the buffet next to the altar....

:-)

[MidwestTransplant]

10. That's newsworthy...not

[IndianaGreen]

13. Pray for her?

That's enough reason to vote against her!

The Christian Jihadists are more of a threat to our liberties than bin Laden.

[news_junkie]

14. someone ought to pray for her

according to Americablog she gave money to a PAC that gave $1000 to Hillary in 2000.

[Occulus]

18. "Her faith is, I think, her biggest priority," MacFarlane said.

That alone should disqualify her for any public office. Her dedication to her country should be her highest priority.

IF confirmed, a group of the People should advance upon her residence and perform a citizens' arrest for attempted insurrection. ANY officeholder for whom God is more important than country needs to be removed from office.

[Zhade]

26. I couldn't agree more.

Well-said.

[leesa]

19. No agenda here. Nope. This twit. Roberts. the Porn King

The Fundies are DANGEROUS.

[yellowcanine]

23. I hope they had the snakes locked up. Otherwise someone might have sat

on one when the ovation was over.

[Supersedeas]

25. Priorities likely to win Advice and Consent by Dobson loyalists