the question of the week for 90&9 last week was "Do Apostolics still get married as virgins? Why or why not?" i think its a shame that we even ask that question.

now, people make mistakes - we all do, i have - and i'm not judging anyone that has had poor judgment in the past. but an entire movement ... to the point that we're asking if it's still the norm? it's a bad place.

i have a friend who was raised catholic who got into the church a couple of years ago. he is intellectually curious and spiritually thirsty, and he loves to talk about and think about the bible. it's great to be around him, because he loves the truth and loves to talk about it. and at church, he works with people in the altar, but afterwards, every time, without fail, he kneels in the corner of the altar, after the visitors have stopped praying, and just falls on his face, and resembles the sort of prayer that someone who has really messed up prays ... full of humility and repentance and remorse, and just PRAYS.

i used to worry when i'd see him do this. i'd go pray with him, and then we'd talk afterwards, and i'd ask him if he were doing alright. and he would assure me that he is doing fine. i hug him, tell him i love him, and we go on from there. and then it hit me - he is in absolute awe of God. he is reverencing God ... and having been raised catholic, he is moved to be able to directly access god without having to approach through a particular church or through mary or through a diocese or any such thing.

a couple of weeks ago, we were having an amazing worship service, and i just wanted to worship. i ran off the platform and fell on my face and prayed (i want to make clear that this isn't some attempt to glorify myself or to seem spiritual or heady or anything like that ... i'm trying to make a point) and just cried and spoke in tongues and worshiped God, because it's all i could do. the rest of the night i was singing "all i can do is fall on my knees and cry holy ...." because that was the reaction i was feeling to god. when i went back on the platform, my dad asked me "is everything alright?" the reason he asked was because i don't usually respond to god that way. and that's a shame.

i'm too casual with God a lot of times. and i think that's why we're asking questions about our young people - are we still following very basic biblical principles of chastity and purity? are we still living holy? we're too casual with God, and we don't have the proper respect and reverence and awe of God that we should have.