Chasing Phantoms Part II

In my last post I forgot the explanation of the title Chasing Phantoms. Over the past 25 years I have attempted to use teachers as a way for overcome my problems. It has not worked. As I said on my last post I sat under one teacher for 17 years. When I left that group after major Holy Spirit encouragement (I was attacked from the pulpit, nameless of course because he is a Minnesotan). As an aside beware of Minnesotans, they are passive-aggressive lot who will be nice to your face and will beat you behind your back. I digress.

Much of present day evangelicalism is chasing phantoms. The teaching is based on the latest whim of the pastor or the sermon outline used. The people go to church not to hear the lame sermon but to see their friends. Many churches have gotten so big that you have trouble finding your car after the service. I guess they call that success. Hahaha. I didn’t have this problem is the group for which I once belonged. The “teacher” made sure that anyone who thought a little different then he die no longer attended. I guess that’s what happened to me. I was growing rather bored with the same type of teaching every week. How many sermons can you hear on how do get things from God over 17 years. I don’t joke, that was his main teaching every week. I remember when he attempted to talk about relationships it was comical. The world revolved around him so the only relationship where those that benefited him.
Now why did I say all that, oh yeah. I started looking into the teachings of the Eastern Christianity and I find one thing to start interesting. In the first 1000 years of the Church there were seven ecumenical councils to resolve issues within the Church. The first was Nicea which dealt with the Arian heresy. After the last council in 787 AD the Eastern Church stopped adopting new doctrine because only the whole church can change dogma (if I am incorrect please let me know). That is another thing that I like about the Eastern Tradition if they don’t understand it they call it a mystery instead trying to have all the answers. I like that.