The Great Pretender

Agreed. As a minor manic-dpressive, i get rather tired of all the people trying to convince me that having a chemical imbalance is actually a sin that must be confessed and repented of. Many cannot understand how such a loser spiritually can possibly come up with biblical insights etc., when I am obviously sinful in not keeping up the smiley false front they demand.

I have the same frustrations with our church. The answer is small groups. The early church practically lived together. Today, we gather in groups of 500 and up and the only time we see each other is if we "run" into someone at church. This is not the "fellowship" taught by the New Testament. Small groups (or churches of 50 to 200) are the only way to get to know people well enough fullfill the "body life" that the Bible teaches. Even then, it takes a while to break through to achieve the trust that allows us to trust one another enough to be open and submit ourselves to one another. Only then can we love one another and build up one another to the point that growth achieves the point where we can encourage one another to love and good works.
The gathering of believers today is only for celabration. We need to make disciples as well.