Mrs. Mattie Quesenberry Smith Help Received

Ronald Mulach Mulach 1

Mrs. Mattie Quesenberry Smith Help Received:

ERH-101 Writing and Rhetoric

14 October 2016

My Church- A Place with People for a Purpose

When I was thinking of the communities that I am a part of, there were more than I thought there would be, simply due to the fact that I would not necessarily categorize myself as a very social or outgoing individual. Nevertheless, I have interaction with many individuals throughout each day and over the course of even a normal week.I believe an activity system is based on interaction (Kain and Wardle 276). According to this course’s textbook, an activity system contains a group of people who act together over time, working towards a specific goal. In order to work together the people in these systems use tools that are either physical and sometimes symbolic. Another aspect of an activity system is that a group’s conduct and practices are manipulated by their past. Also when one part of the system changes the other parts respond and change as well. (Writing About Writing 791) So that thoroughly explains just what an activity system is, the bottom line is that I have many of activity systems of which I am a part. Perhaps one of the most influential activity systems that I am a part of on a normal basis is my church. It is easy to say church and some people get a notion of what church means to them, or what they believe, or this or that experience they had. However, I believe a church is much more than the building where meetings are held. Church is all about people and the interaction between them. This is why the churches that I have been a member of have impacted me and had an influence on who I am. Thus we can study my church as an activity system. My church is a group of people with several specific goals. These goals require both physical and metaphysical tools to accomplish those goals. Overall the members are influenced by their past and through interaction, influence each other.

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The first thing to look at in the church should probably be its goals (Swales 220). The church ought to be a focused place. Many events go on at an active church, sometimes these activities can distract the members, but a church has the outstanding purpose of worship. Again, many people could take this in a myriad of directions. For some, the actions they do is considered worship; for others, it is a mental process. They must be engaged in spiritual thought and even then, someone might ask what is spiritual and what is not. The problem is not necessarily metaphysical, it is more of a procedural, how a person thinks this pursuit ought to be carried out. Either way, the way I worship is dual. What I do in the spirit, manifests itself through the body. For me, worship is a proper way of thinking. Just because I am at the church building, does not mean I am taking part in what is going on. If I am not present in both body and spirit, it is pointless to be there, because I am missing the goal of being at church. What it all comes down to is, church is a place for people to come together and worship. This is the major reason I attend each service at my church, I go to worship. This may bring about the question; well why do you worship?I have discussed what it means to me to worship, but what is the point of worship? Worship’s purpose has been alluded to already, but deserves a more specific explanation. I have heard many pastors say that each person in the world has a “God shaped hole in their heart”. This idea comes from many different passages in the Bible that allude to man’s desire to know more about God. This is an interesting concept, but one I believe presents rather clearly why I am driven to take the time to worship. The basic meaning of what this idea is suggesting is that every person has a spiritual desire in life, metaphorically thought of as a hole. The belief is that this desire was placed in every persons’ life by God, so man will be driven to worship Him. This belief goes further to suggest that the only thing that will satisfy this desire (fill the hole) is God. The only way to get God to fill the hole is through worship. Which as previously stated, is the main goal of the church. However, worship is not the only goal.

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The church’s secondary goal is personal growth and the furtherance of spirituality in one’s life. In striving to achieve these personally,the group as a whole will grow and benefit.

Spiritual growth is a constant process of always striving to increase my faith or understand more of man’s relationship with God.Just to name two specific areas. Growth is spiritual, but growth can also be physical for a church. A church grows physically by adding members to the congregation. This is the second part of the second goal of the church. Adding members to the church is a mission of my church found in the Bible. In Matthew 28:19-20, the Bible states with Jesus speaking, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you “. This is the mission statement of my church, commonly referred to as the Great Commission. This idea of broadcasting my beliefs is shunned by some, but as one can see from these two verses it is clearly commanded that I am to tell everyone what I believe and know about God and what He teaches me. This evangelism, combined with worship, together make up the main goals of the church and the purpose for its existence.

Not only does my church have several goals, my church my church uses both physical and metaphysical means or tools to accomplish our goals (Kain and Wardle 277). Most of the physical tools used in my church are obvious. Things like hymnals and the Bible and music. However, each tool serves a purpose in accomplishing the goals of my church. The hymnals are a compilation of poems set to music to be sung. One of my most favorite things to do at church is sing from the hymnal. The words are spiritual and prepare the heart for the pastor to speak.Therefore, singing in church is an important part of worship. The Holy Bible is another clear tool used in my church, as this book is read from each time we meet. The Bible is a sacred religious text that bears great importance in my life. The Bible is a guiding force for what I believe and as its words are from God, it is important not to undermine what is written.

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Much of what I do or do not do is dictated by what the Bible says. The Bible is a key tool of my church as it is an authority on teaching. Another tool of my church that is a necessity for its physical survival is money.

To operate the church needs money. Money given to the church is referred to as the tithe. The tithe allows the church to have a meeting place, a building, and furnishings indoors. More importantly, I believe, the church collects tithe to further its ministry capabilities. Funding for outreach includes religious literature and radio and television programs. These physical tools of my church complement the other non-tangible tools. The most important of these “metaphysical” tools available to me as a Christian, is apologetics. The defense of my faith makes it possible for others to understand what I believe. Apologetics is important when reaching out into the social community. Motivation for outreach largely stems from love and compassion. If I do not care about my fellow man even if they are not from my church, I cannot truly talk to others about my faith, which is always a main focus of my church.

As unified as the churches that I have been a member of have been, each one has been cosmopolitan. Not everyone looks the same or is from the same social class or has the same finances. That being said everyone is different and comes from a different background. What a person does in the past influences where they are today (Kain and Wardle 276). This is very true in my church. One’s past greatly effects who they are and where they are spiritually. The great thing is that a person does not have to be held back by their past. Their history has a bearing on their life, but does not dictate who they have become today.

My church is an important part of my life. However, it requires a great deal of commitment, so I have not always seen it this way. When I was younger I had fewer experiences to relate to and a lot of

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what went on in church went over my head or just did not take up a significant meaning. Now, much has changed I find solace in church and feel a greater connection to everyone else and it is more than a

weekly routine, rather a necessary passion. Once it was my parents that made me attend, then gradually, until now it has become a part of my life. Church is not a building, to me church is a place to interact with others and discuss spiritual topics. What is more, is that I know why I attend, there are specific objectives of my church that I know what purpose it serves. To accomplish these purposes certain methods are used and the past has a special influence on the interaction of the body of believers attached to my church. So all in all, the interaction between each member goes a long way in shaping each person while accomplishing the underlying goals of a church.

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WORKS CITED

Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer. Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2016.