The Mars Hill Experience

Mars Hill is a nondenominational franchised church with its flagship church in Seattle Washington. There are 15 churches most of which are on the West coast. The church's basic principles are:

• Teaching about Jesus through studying the Bible

• Making Disciples who love God and love others

• Plant churches so that more disciples can be made

Christianity is the Life of God lived through Us - Mark Driscoll

I attended the 5pm service this Sunday at the Mars Hill Church in Albuquerque. Like many churches, they require their members to commit to a moral covenant. They are a hip and happening congregation without a doubt. Young people are prevalent in the congregation and the music is lively, modern Christian rock. 

Each church has a lead male Pastor who runs the services but the weekend sermons are video broadcasts from the founder, Pastor Mark Driscoll. The sermons are very meaty and Biblically rich. This week's sermon was one in a continuing series from the book of James:

Temptation ≠ Sin 

Jesus was tempted, but was without sin. Pastor Driscoll spoke of why we are tempted. It is not God's doing, yet it serves as an opportunity for God to teach us different lessons in life. 

 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone                   ~ James 1:13

He preached that having temptations is not sin and does not mean you have lost the war. You can still win - do not be discouraged, hold steadfast because God's grace always allows a path for success. 

Be Honest, Humble and Aware           -  Pastor Driscoll

Knowing your temptations will help you know which "Bait" to avoid because, when there is Bait there is always a Hook. He assured us that God would not send us more temptation than we could handle and overcome. 

God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.              ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

After the sermon, children joined their parents in the service. I really liked their communion. People are asked to pray and contemplate the sermon and as they are ready, go up to receive communion. 

THANK YOU Mars Hill of Albuquerque for showing me how you love and worship Jesus. 

Note: Mars Hill in The Bible is the site of one of Paul's most famous sermons in Athens, Greece. 

New Mexico's Society of Jesus

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✞✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ Jesuits (or The Society of Jesus)

St. Ignatius, a  soldier-turned-mystic Ignatius Loyola, founded the Society of Jesus in an effort to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Rather than break off as a separate church, the Jesuits became a distinct order of priests in 1534 and received commendation from Pope Paul III in 1537. Pressured by the royal courts in Europe, Pope Clement XIV denounced the Society, causing Jesuits throughout the world to renounce their vows and go into exile. The suppression lasted for 41 years, until what is called their restoration on August 7, 1814. Jesuit priests take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Today they are the largest all male religious order in the Catholic Church. Jesuits are well known for their schools, including higher education, but are mainly a missionary order. 

The Jesuits are celebrating 2014 as their 200th Anniversary from the Restoration

Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pontiff

Jesuit Spirituality 

•    Finding God in all things 
• Listening with a discerning heart
• Choosing to live for the greater glory of God 

Founded in 1883, Immaculate Conception Church is the only Jesuit Church in New Mexico and only one of a handful in the Southwestern part of the United States. They have an affiliated school and nursing home next door, St. Mary's Catholic School and St Mary's Rest Home.

I attended the 5pm Saturday Mass.

It is a large and gorgeous chapel in the heart of Downtown Albuquerque. The service had well over a hundred people in attendance. Right away I noticed something pleasantly different about this Catholic service. Women were an integral part of the service - leading the chants, doing readings, helping with communion. There was not a individual bulletin for the service, but I believe it was Father Oren Key who presided over the mass. 

The liturgy was a traditional one otherwise. The sermon was based on Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians. Fr. Key spoke of Paul's heartbreak at the news of the divisions in Corinth for Paul believed, "we are one in Christ. Brothers and Sisters in Christ." He talked about the relevance to today's issues of division and discord among different denominations of Christians and that the differences should only serve as an enrichment, rather than a division. He talked of the passion Paul had for unity. Just as Paul urged the Corinthians to set aside their difference and come together, so he urged his congregation:

That is the spirit we still have to strive for today ~ Fr. Key 

I really liked the sermon. I feel it spoke to the mission of my journey. While preparing to share communion, they did not announce any restrictions but I knew from experience that only baptized Catholics in good standing are meant to partake, but I did go up and get my blessing.  

It was a great way to spend my Saturday evening, well worth the trip downtown. 

THANK YOU Immaculate Conception Church for welcoming me into your sanctuary to Worship God. 

Me and the Mormons

During the Second Great Awakening of the 19th Century, a young man named Joseph Smith Jr. began soul searching for answers to his questions of religion and faith. During this time, he discovered ancient scripts about Jesus Christ engraved on gold plates. His interpretation of those scripts became the Book of Mormon, which teaches that Christ’s original Church has been restored in modern times with living apostles and prophets, starting with Joseph Smith. Following this, Smith helped organize the first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). In 1844, following the political death of Joseph Smith, the church split based on different leadership. The Latter-Day Saints established a Quorum of Twelve with a leader of Brigham Young and relocated to Utah. Another group chose Joseph Smith III as their leader and stayed in Missouri, this group became the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

The Latter-Day Saints have unique beliefs separate from other Christian denominations. Some of those beliefs are: 

• faithful members must participate in...temple "endowment" ceremonies
• marriages performed in LDS temples can continue after death
• deceased persons can embrace Mormonism in the spirit world through 'baptism for the dead.' (MRM)

New Mexico and parts of surrounding states are served by the Albuquerque Temple. LDS Temples are not places of ordinary worship, they are only for weddings and special ceremonies, "the temple is to provide a dedicated place where sacred ordinances needed for eternal life can be performed." Only baptized mormons who have received an endowment can enter the temple. 

The Church divides geographical areas into stakes and then further divides them into wards (or branches.) Different wards often hold their weekly service, or sacrament meeting, at the same meetinghouse. Wards are presided over by a bishop and services are run by members of the congregation. There are no paid clergy in LDS. 

I attended the 11 am Albuquerque East Stake, Sandia Ward meeting on Sunday morning at the LDS Church at 4109 Eubank NE. Three separate Wards hold regular meetings there at different times. The services are very family oriented. All ages attend the service, one of the children even came up to me during the service and offered me a toy. ☺

They partook in sacrament, bread and water. I had not read anywhere of any restrictions on nonmormons partaking, so I honored the sacrament as well. 

Many hymns are sung throughout the service and several members spoke. The youth speaker explained the theory of GodHead. She made an analogy to the three branches of the U.S. government, three separate entities that make up one government. 

The adult speaker was a sister who was a 7th generation mormon. She spoke of the Law of Consecration, "a divine principle whereby men and women voluntarily dedicate their time, talents, and material wealth to the establishment and building up of God’s kingdom." She advised the congregants to live by the law they should:

• TITHE - give freely to the church and to the less fortunate
• SERVE - willingly in the church
• MISSION - serve your mission - the closest to living by the Law of Consecration
• BE CHRIST-LIKE in your love for others 

They show great pride and commitment to their religion and beliefs. After the meeting, all members study the bible in classes designated by age and sex. All LDS churches study the same curriculum every week in Sunday school. 

Interesting Note: LDS do not use the Cross as a symbol in their religion. 

THANK YOU Sandia Ward of Albuquerque LDS for sharing with me your Sacrament Meeting.