There is a constant struggle between conventional medicine and alternative healing. Some folks hate the health care delivered by our doctors and hospitals and others think alternatives (Chiropractic, Accupuncture, Homeopathy, Herbal, etc.) is just a bunch of snake oil.
As I have grown older and experienced both, I say if it works for you, great!
Several years ago I developed a periodic shooting pain in my gut that made me stop and bend over. After several weeks of being struck by pain, I decided to seek medical advice. My doctor ran asked some questions and ran some test. All the tests came back negative for the scary stuff light cancer. But the pain persisted.
I decided that I would make some changes to my lifestyle to see if I could ameliorate the pain. I had a pretty good idea what was going on in my system because of the time of day and type of pain I was having. Consequently, I drastically reduced my intake of meat (beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc.) and increased my consumption of fruits, veggies and water. Within a week my shooting pains had gone away.
Did the medical system fail me? No, I just used common sense. Had I received relief from alternative sources it would have been just as real. The point is, if you choose an alternative form of medical treatment and you feel better and are more productive, who am I to say the method does not work.
I will just say that my name is Deacon Steve, I have been
part of Fremont Presbyterian Church since I was a child who came to visit his
Grandparents and Cousins every year from Wyoming. The Church welcomed us as if
we were members and invited us to all the summer gatherings with their youth
group. Today the same programs offer non members including kids from the area
and their families a chance to spend time with others in the “Upward”
basketball program. It is a great ministry that brings the Community together.
In 2004 I moved out
here permanently and became a Member, joined as much as I could to become
involved in the Church I remembered as a kid. Eventually I was offered the
opportunity to serve within the Church. Around that same time I had been
hearing things about the Presbyterian Church USA changing everything that our
Church “Fremont” stood for. I looked into it and found alot of
confusion and resentment growing within our Church. My grandmother (who was
alive at the time) was also concerned for the division growing within our congregation.
She said the most important thing to me when it came to this controversial
issue; she said “Steve, we don’t go to Fremont to worship the Church, we
go there to worship God!” She was always involved with my Grandfather at
the level of General Assembly, (the equivalent of Congress to PCUSA), this
involvement was only one of her “modi operandi” in life.
I started to become
(after her death at 103 y/o) active in the movement growing to prevent the
Church from changing denominations to a denomination which discriminated
against women in positions of authority, and also against the LGBT community
with respect to Ordination. When it came to the time that would change or
uphold the teachings of Christ at Fremont Presbyterian Church, we lost 427 to
164. Considering the Congregation total is approximately 1300 members, we
really didn’t lose. Over half of the Congregation didn’t even vote because it
was so long and tedious in the process that they probably had enough.
Through another
year or so of the protocol to switch denominations and also to litigate a
settlement between the Presbytery of Sacramento, (who was at this point handling
the business of the 164 Christians who want to stay in what we believed was
“OUR” Church and its outlying buildings.)
In the “End?”
or at the beginning, both sides agreed to allow both Congregations to continue
to meet and utilize the property(s) at 5770 Carlson in Sacramento right outside
the entrance to California State University as Sacramento. The New Church which
was created by God is called University Presbyterian Church Sacramento. We are
growing and look forward to our Congregation Increasing in size from within the
local community.
I think the
ministries and programs at 5770 Carlson will not change and the wonderful things
that they have done over the past 100(+) years will continue, it is just the
politics that should have never been allowed to sit in the pews of the Church.
Was the Danbury
Baptist Church really the catalyst that caujsed the seperation of Church and
State
Deacon Steve
Thank you for your comments and perspective.