Groovy day, based on how I groove.
There is innate chaos, from a human point of view, when disciples gather in the way early followers of Jesus did.
In our case today, the "everyone has a hymn" part was, excuse the pun, dissonant. Some of our number came with Christmas carols. I was determined not to enable participation in the unbiblical tradition of Advent--though, as the Spirit led, in the end, I did suggest the singing of ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH, which became, before we sang it, HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING.
As we have often lately, we tossed out our normal pattern and spontaneously interspersed singing and the reading of the Word. As the Spirit led, we spent only a brief moment in prayer. (For us, prayer often lasts about half an hour.)
In the end, Word time began focusing on 1 John 2, jumped to chapter 1, settled on the Parable of the Prodigal Son and became an energetic conversation about whether to and how to deal with a young former attender of the Sunday morning show who's now pushing drugs in town.
We gather, as Hebrews says, to spur each other on to love and good works.
And that's what we did.
Groovy, indeed!
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Friday, November 28, 2014
Ed's Belated Account of The Gathering
It's in today's eNews.
I've said it before. Ed is an awesome note taker.
When you read his account, take note that Ed does go out of his way to make the Kingdom about the church.
I've said it before. Ed is an awesome note taker.
When you read his account, take note that Ed does go out of his way to make the Kingdom about the church.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
CGGC Leadership/Winebrenner Thought Experiment Number Three
In 1830, ten years after Winebrenner brought his prophetic/evangelistic ministry to Harrisburg in which he demanded the pursuit of "social justice" and radical conversion of any who would be a member of the church, he initiated the Church of God for people who shared his extreme way of thinking and living.
Can you envision any way that Ed Rosenberry would have left the institutional church to join with Winebrenner and his radical mob?
Which, if any, regional CEO would have joined the Church of God?
Can you envision any way that Ed Rosenberry would have left the institutional church to join with Winebrenner and his radical mob?
Which, if any, regional CEO would have joined the Church of God?
Monday, November 24, 2014
Another Thought Experiment: Current CGGC Leadership as a Part of Winebrenner's Story
Gang,
As I see it now, these thought experiments will come in a four (or perhaps, five)-pack. Then, God willing, I'll make what I think is a point crucial to how the CGGC must approach its future.
---------------------------------------------
Previously, I wrote:
Now, imagine this:
A member of a CGGC Church Council calls Ed or your regional CEO and tells the story of their pastor saying and doing what the people of the Harrisburg Church reported to the German Reformed Classis about what Winebrenner was saying and doing.
How much support would have Winebrenner have gotten if Ed or the others were a part his story?
As I see it now, these thought experiments will come in a four (or perhaps, five)-pack. Then, God willing, I'll make what I think is a point crucial to how the CGGC must approach its future.
---------------------------------------------
Previously, I wrote:
I've been thinking a lot lately about the record of John Winebrenner's tumultuous tenure as the clergyman of the Harrisburg German Reformed Church. The best known account of it is contained in Richard Kern's biography of Winebrenner.-------------------------------------
And, as I think about things coming from CGGC mountain tops these days about reforming our "worship" and avoiding worship wars and all just getting along, I am absolutely convinced that if Ed Rosenberry and our regional EDs and, perhaps, every other current mountaintopper were part of that story, they would have kicked Winebrenner out of the church on his derriere.
If you doubt me and you have the book, read that chapter over. Winebrenner opposed everything we are now being told to value in our worship services.
Consider this question: How long would Winebrenner have lasted long if the Rosenberries and other EDs were on the church vestry?
Now, imagine this:
A member of a CGGC Church Council calls Ed or your regional CEO and tells the story of their pastor saying and doing what the people of the Harrisburg Church reported to the German Reformed Classis about what Winebrenner was saying and doing.
How much support would have Winebrenner have gotten if Ed or the others were a part his story?
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Gathering 11-23-14
One thing about the way we come together that is set in stone is that NOTHING, humanly speaking, is set in stone.
We have a pattern that we customarily follow but everything is flexible. There is never a sermon. We never know what songs we will sing--or how many we will sing or who will pray, or how many will pray.
Today was a day that we didn't follow the customary pattern. At one point we read a passage that we recognized as a familiar Scripture song. Someone said, "Hey, we should sing that." So, we did. Then we continued with the study of the Word.
Groovy, Spirit-directed time which felt extemporaneous in the way Paul describes New Testament gatherings in I Corinthians 14.
My sense is that in most Evangelical services, the most memorable element is the sermon. More often than not, in our gatherings the most memorable time for me is prayer time.
Great way to start a week!!!
We have a pattern that we customarily follow but everything is flexible. There is never a sermon. We never know what songs we will sing--or how many we will sing or who will pray, or how many will pray.
Today was a day that we didn't follow the customary pattern. At one point we read a passage that we recognized as a familiar Scripture song. Someone said, "Hey, we should sing that." So, we did. Then we continued with the study of the Word.
Groovy, Spirit-directed time which felt extemporaneous in the way Paul describes New Testament gatherings in I Corinthians 14.
My sense is that in most Evangelical services, the most memorable element is the sermon. More often than not, in our gatherings the most memorable time for me is prayer time.
Great way to start a week!!!
Saturday, November 22, 2014
A Thought Experiment: Current CGGC Leadership as a Part of Winebrenner's Story
I've been thinking a lot lately about the record of John Winebrenner's tumultuous tenure as the clergyman of the Harrisburg German Reformed Church. The best known account of it is contained in Richard Kern's biography of Winebrenner.
And, as I think about things coming from CGGC mountain tops these days about reforming our "worship" and avoiding worship wars and all just getting along, I am absolutely convinced that if Ed Rosenberry and our regional EDs and, perhaps, every other current mountaintopper were part of that story, they would have kicked Winebrenner out of the church on his derriere.
If you doubt me and you have the book, read it over. Winebrenner opposed everything we are now being told to value in our worship services.
Consider this question: How long would Winebrenner have lasted long if the Rosenberries and other EDs were on the church vestry?
And, as I think about things coming from CGGC mountain tops these days about reforming our "worship" and avoiding worship wars and all just getting along, I am absolutely convinced that if Ed Rosenberry and our regional EDs and, perhaps, every other current mountaintopper were part of that story, they would have kicked Winebrenner out of the church on his derriere.
If you doubt me and you have the book, read it over. Winebrenner opposed everything we are now being told to value in our worship services.
Consider this question: How long would Winebrenner have lasted long if the Rosenberries and other EDs were on the church vestry?
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Old Wineskin-ism: The Well-Intentioned Rosenberrian Error
As the CGGC moves forward and attempts to fill Ed Rosenberry's sasquatch-sized shoes, I have been trying to assess what are the most important changes the body needs to make.
(I have been very clear about my conviction that we need to eschew the big-business model upon which our current leadership scheme is built and not to follow recent tradition and have the CGGC Ad Council appoint another person to sit behind the huge desk in the corner office whose task is to be its "CEO."
But, as Isaiah understood from the beginning [see chapter 6], I am resigned to the reality that this message will not be received and that leadership will continue to defy the "rule" of Scripture. Therefore, the CGGC certainly will soon have its next CEO.)
Viewing Ed's tenure from the 40,000 foot perspective that prophets have, I see several things that, I suspect, few, if any, others see.
One of them is that Ed attempted always, and in many ways, to put new wine in the old, decayed CGGC wineskin.
There is much dysfunction and sin at the core of what the CGGC has become. Ed has, at the same time, enabled that dysfunction and attempted to introduce new energy into a body that is diseased and dying. This practice is schizophrenic and destined to failure.
It seems to me that Ed has always been too kind-hearted, too fearful of conflict and too much of a shepherd to confront the many sins that are killing us and has hoped to bring change to the CGGC core by tweaking and adding what is new to what is decayed and tradition bound.
The Word makes it clear that this is unwise and, in fact, impossible. God's apostles and prophets have never done this and the Lord never blessed this strategy when the institutionalists and traditionalists of the Bible attempted it.
The Lord's correction has always involved a first step of confronting sin and calling for confession and repentance. "If my people who are called by my Name..." These are things Ed has consistently refused to do. In fact, it seems outside of his nature to even consider them.
--------------------------------
Four thoughts:
1. As a result, even the CGGC institution is faltering--as the most recent financial report from Bob Stephenson, the financial plea from Jim Thomas for assistance for those in the pension and, in the ERC, as a recent communication from the financial gurus have made clear.
2. The new CEO will have to do what shepherds find difficult--probably impossible--and confront core sins using Jesus in the temple as his/her model. Hence we will need someone as our next CEO who is not gifted to be a shepherd who is also someone who will "uproot and tear down [and] destroy and overthrow" (Jeremiah 1:10) the shepherd dominated leadership culture. (This will probably result in the spilling of metaphorical blood--most probably the metaphorical blood of the CEO.)
3. We must repent on the big picture level. Tweaking has been shown to fail both in Scripture and in our own story.
4. The best way to move forward really is to cast aside the CEO leadership model that has been failing since the first days of the 35,000 by 2000 campaign.
(I have been very clear about my conviction that we need to eschew the big-business model upon which our current leadership scheme is built and not to follow recent tradition and have the CGGC Ad Council appoint another person to sit behind the huge desk in the corner office whose task is to be its "CEO."
But, as Isaiah understood from the beginning [see chapter 6], I am resigned to the reality that this message will not be received and that leadership will continue to defy the "rule" of Scripture. Therefore, the CGGC certainly will soon have its next CEO.)
Viewing Ed's tenure from the 40,000 foot perspective that prophets have, I see several things that, I suspect, few, if any, others see.
One of them is that Ed attempted always, and in many ways, to put new wine in the old, decayed CGGC wineskin.
There is much dysfunction and sin at the core of what the CGGC has become. Ed has, at the same time, enabled that dysfunction and attempted to introduce new energy into a body that is diseased and dying. This practice is schizophrenic and destined to failure.
It seems to me that Ed has always been too kind-hearted, too fearful of conflict and too much of a shepherd to confront the many sins that are killing us and has hoped to bring change to the CGGC core by tweaking and adding what is new to what is decayed and tradition bound.
The Word makes it clear that this is unwise and, in fact, impossible. God's apostles and prophets have never done this and the Lord never blessed this strategy when the institutionalists and traditionalists of the Bible attempted it.
The Lord's correction has always involved a first step of confronting sin and calling for confession and repentance. "If my people who are called by my Name..." These are things Ed has consistently refused to do. In fact, it seems outside of his nature to even consider them.
--------------------------------
Four thoughts:
1. As a result, even the CGGC institution is faltering--as the most recent financial report from Bob Stephenson, the financial plea from Jim Thomas for assistance for those in the pension and, in the ERC, as a recent communication from the financial gurus have made clear.
2. The new CEO will have to do what shepherds find difficult--probably impossible--and confront core sins using Jesus in the temple as his/her model. Hence we will need someone as our next CEO who is not gifted to be a shepherd who is also someone who will "uproot and tear down [and] destroy and overthrow" (Jeremiah 1:10) the shepherd dominated leadership culture. (This will probably result in the spilling of metaphorical blood--most probably the metaphorical blood of the CEO.)
3. We must repent on the big picture level. Tweaking has been shown to fail both in Scripture and in our own story.
4. The best way to move forward really is to cast aside the CEO leadership model that has been failing since the first days of the 35,000 by 2000 campaign.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Gathering 11-16-14
Today was much of the best that gatherings modeled on New Testament gatherings, which disdain evangelico-Christendom traditions, have to offer.
We avoid worship wars by expecting that everyone will have a hymn for the body and that the gathering will join enthusiastically in singing it. Yesterday we sang music from the 1700s, 1800s, 1900s and 2000s. No one begrudged a brother or sister their musical passion.
Everyone led to pray aloud prayed aloud. I didn't have us on a stopwatch but the last time I noted, prayer time had extended more than twenty inspiring minutes.
Keeping with the New Testament model, there was no sermon in which everyone else passively consumes the spiritual wisdom of one person. On this occasion, we noted the surface contradiction between Matthew 5:16 and 6:1. The wisdom and spiritual struggles that torment many of us contributed to a blending of the wisdom of the group.
As we explored the truth together, I realized that no single "preacher" could have edified us all as effectively as we all edified each other. (1 Cor. 14:26)
It saddens me that so few have the sort of experience we now take for granted.
We avoid worship wars by expecting that everyone will have a hymn for the body and that the gathering will join enthusiastically in singing it. Yesterday we sang music from the 1700s, 1800s, 1900s and 2000s. No one begrudged a brother or sister their musical passion.
Everyone led to pray aloud prayed aloud. I didn't have us on a stopwatch but the last time I noted, prayer time had extended more than twenty inspiring minutes.
Keeping with the New Testament model, there was no sermon in which everyone else passively consumes the spiritual wisdom of one person. On this occasion, we noted the surface contradiction between Matthew 5:16 and 6:1. The wisdom and spiritual struggles that torment many of us contributed to a blending of the wisdom of the group.
As we explored the truth together, I realized that no single "preacher" could have edified us all as effectively as we all edified each other. (1 Cor. 14:26)
It saddens me that so few have the sort of experience we now take for granted.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
A Bible Question Probably no CGGC Person Can Answer
My guess is that no CGGCer can answer beyond a surface level--if even that--because the Shepherd Mafia has effectively killed off the spiritual gift of teaching in our body.
Without looking it up: What are the differences between the words euaggelizo and kerusso?
------------------------
It has occurred to me lately that the one APEST gift/calling that is most threatening to the Shepherd Mafia may very well be the gift of teaching because teachers could and would calmly and factually expose the values the mafia foists on the body as not being Word-based.
That is a truth our mafia dons can't afford to have exposed.
Without looking it up: What are the differences between the words euaggelizo and kerusso?
------------------------
It has occurred to me lately that the one APEST gift/calling that is most threatening to the Shepherd Mafia may very well be the gift of teaching because teachers could and would calmly and factually expose the values the mafia foists on the body as not being Word-based.
That is a truth our mafia dons can't afford to have exposed.
Pseudo Francis Chan Quote
I heard Jonathan Falwell attribute this to Francis Chan. And, it is in his book, CRAZY LOVE. But Chan quotes it from Tim Kizziar.
It is a stern warning to the Western Church and, especially to the CGGC:
"Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
It is a stern warning to the Western Church and, especially to the CGGC:
"Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Our Gathering THIS Sunday
This is one of those relaxed Sundays that we planned ahead of time not to gather with our Sunday morning group. We will be joining a nephew who, as a child, was preached the "if your go to the altar and pray the prayer you are saved forever" gospel.
And, he has embraced that gospel!!!! He's a nice guy who has always been a hit with the babes, has dumped two wives and is now shacking up with a woman who, as it turns out, is a former coworker of Evie.
Our gathering this Sunday will be with them.
Last week the gang crammed into our house. Today we gather with the woman at the well and her newest stud--our nephew--whom we love.
And, I believe that both last week's and today's gatherings have more of what Jesus taught and incarnated than most churchians have on their plates.
I only wish we had more people in our lives who saw this walk in the Word.
And, he has embraced that gospel!!!! He's a nice guy who has always been a hit with the babes, has dumped two wives and is now shacking up with a woman who, as it turns out, is a former coworker of Evie.
Our gathering this Sunday will be with them.
Last week the gang crammed into our house. Today we gather with the woman at the well and her newest stud--our nephew--whom we love.
And, I believe that both last week's and today's gatherings have more of what Jesus taught and incarnated than most churchians have on their plates.
I only wish we had more people in our lives who saw this walk in the Word.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Ed's eNews Blog
Two observations:
- Have you noticed that no one has yet commented on any eNews blog posting? This blog, with a puny mailing list, gets more comments than eNews. I wonder what this lack of conversation is fruit of. Doesn't anyone read the eNews? (At one time someone who resides very close to the top of the CGGC mountaintop told me that I am one of only three or four who ever read it.) Is it that no one cares? Is it the cynicism that is essential to the CGGC brand? Is there another explanation? [Note: Any comments would have to be placed on the blog by someone who runs the blog. The comment page states, "Your comment will be posted after it is approved." It could be that comments that have been made have been censored.]
- Have you noticed that there has been no mention of The Gathering? Did Ed not attend? Is it that the topic, the content and proclamation of the Gospel, isn't worth eNews mention as far as Ed is concerned? Is it that what McKnight has to say is too 'hot button' and creates tension in the "Mellow Relationships over Truth" characteristic of the CGGC brand? It is a curious thing that this event, which Ed promoted so aggressively, has not been mentioned since it took place.
Pastoral Call
I stopped functioning in the role of a parish priest/pastor years ago. I can't describe the role I have drifted into but my calling is not to be a parish priest. I'm not good at doing that stuff. I hate it and the Lord has never blessed it.
However, I sort of fell into that role yesterday. A guy who gathers with our Sunday and Thursday groups had some outpatient surgery yesterday and Evelyn cooked their evening meal, which I delivered. I hung out for about a half hour.
As I drove away I realized that what I did ended up fitting the parish priest role.
What a blast from the past!
I enjoyed it but I'm glad it's not expected.
However, I sort of fell into that role yesterday. A guy who gathers with our Sunday and Thursday groups had some outpatient surgery yesterday and Evelyn cooked their evening meal, which I delivered. I hung out for about a half hour.
As I drove away I realized that what I did ended up fitting the parish priest role.
What a blast from the past!
I enjoyed it but I'm glad it's not expected.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Filling Ed's Size 19 1/2 5Es
You probably don't know this but, at about the time I created this blog, I created another blog called THE ED ROSENBERRY BLOG.
I've written ten posts for it but I never felt freed by the Lord to publish any of them. Those posts have served as a sort of journal for me in the months since.
The description of the blog states:
Now, I'm not certain that he's still number two.
The circumstances surrounding Ed's resignation defy understanding to me. And, being the cynic that I am about the things that are spoken from the mountaintop, I don't think we know the whole story. I have long since stopped taking anything Ed says or does at face value and I certainly don't take his explanation of his resignation at face value.
So...
...I'm not certain that Ed is still number two, behind only Winebrenner, in the CGGC. But, the impact of his leadership certainly has been great.
Whether he's still number two or not, Ed has been extremely influential and has, as I've argued in the past, exercised authority in our body in a way that most Roman Catholic Popes never dreamed of.
Filling his shoes will be extremely difficult.
How we do it will matter.
It is my hope that the Search Committee will stop searching. It has declared that it is searching for the next CGGC CEO. I hope that it will submit to the authority of the Eldership and to We Believe and the new Statement of Faith and go back to square one and allow the Bible to be its "only" "rule." I hope it will report that it can't, in good conscience, defy the Word and foist another CEO on our body.
If it doesn't, I promise to submit to the Eldership and our faith statements--even though I disagree with them on this point--and to resist the Search Committee and any and every thing the next CEO attempts to do.
I promise to do it like a little brat with a tummy ache in the throws of the terrible twos. I will because I see that as an apt description of Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist--and even Jesus--when they dealt with faithless religious institutionalists who ignored the Word of the Lord.
Please pray for the people on the mountaintop. Pray that the Spirit will lead them to repent of their avowed search for another CEO. Pray that He will convict them of this folly. Pray they will submit to Him and to the authority of the Word and of CGGC body itself.
And, if they don't, be prepared yourself to submit to the Word and to the authority of the Eldership!
I've written ten posts for it but I never felt freed by the Lord to publish any of them. Those posts have served as a sort of journal for me in the months since.
The description of the blog states:
And, until recently, I believed that.Through his profound impact on the Eastern Regional Conference and the General Conference as their Executive Director, Ed Rosenberry is now the second most influential person in CGGC history, behind John Winebrenner, exceeding even C. H. Forney. This blog is dedicated to assessment of Ed's influence and speculation on what his legacy may be.
Now, I'm not certain that he's still number two.
The circumstances surrounding Ed's resignation defy understanding to me. And, being the cynic that I am about the things that are spoken from the mountaintop, I don't think we know the whole story. I have long since stopped taking anything Ed says or does at face value and I certainly don't take his explanation of his resignation at face value.
So...
...I'm not certain that Ed is still number two, behind only Winebrenner, in the CGGC. But, the impact of his leadership certainly has been great.
Whether he's still number two or not, Ed has been extremely influential and has, as I've argued in the past, exercised authority in our body in a way that most Roman Catholic Popes never dreamed of.
Filling his shoes will be extremely difficult.
How we do it will matter.
It is my hope that the Search Committee will stop searching. It has declared that it is searching for the next CGGC CEO. I hope that it will submit to the authority of the Eldership and to We Believe and the new Statement of Faith and go back to square one and allow the Bible to be its "only" "rule." I hope it will report that it can't, in good conscience, defy the Word and foist another CEO on our body.
If it doesn't, I promise to submit to the Eldership and our faith statements--even though I disagree with them on this point--and to resist the Search Committee and any and every thing the next CEO attempts to do.
I promise to do it like a little brat with a tummy ache in the throws of the terrible twos. I will because I see that as an apt description of Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist--and even Jesus--when they dealt with faithless religious institutionalists who ignored the Word of the Lord.
Please pray for the people on the mountaintop. Pray that the Spirit will lead them to repent of their avowed search for another CEO. Pray that He will convict them of this folly. Pray they will submit to Him and to the authority of the Word and of CGGC body itself.
And, if they don't, be prepared yourself to submit to the Word and to the authority of the Eldership!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
House Gathering
For the past few months, one time a month, we squeeze our whole group into our living/dining room, with some on the floor. We do the 1 Cor. 14:26 thing with anyone and everyone calling for a hymn, any and everyone praying and, of course, no sermon-no one assigned to speak or teach. The highlight is always the taking of the bread and cup as a part of a world class meal to which many of the participants contributed-including a ten year old who brought bags of chips and popcorn (my potato and vegetable.) ;-)
What a wonderful time! There is absolutely nothing like it.
There was a long time I believed in this before I began to live it. My only regret is that I held on to tradition for so long.
It is likely that we will have only house gatherings within a year.
Can't wait!
What a wonderful time! There is absolutely nothing like it.
There was a long time I believed in this before I began to live it. My only regret is that I held on to tradition for so long.
It is likely that we will have only house gatherings within a year.
Can't wait!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Pressed Beyond My Incarnational Limit
Last evening at work a new coworker with whom I have quickly become friendly asked me join him and some friends for their weekly Saturday night small stakes poker game.
I couldn't.
I couldn't even want to for the sake of the gospel.
I'm remembering Jesus hanging with Matthew and his friends and I'm feeling like a Pharisee.
I'm happy not to be a pastor and to be a disciple living in the world and for the opportunities to be salt and light. I rejoice in the life I have. Clearly, though, I have a way to go in figuring it out.
I couldn't.
I couldn't even want to for the sake of the gospel.
I'm remembering Jesus hanging with Matthew and his friends and I'm feeling like a Pharisee.
I'm happy not to be a pastor and to be a disciple living in the world and for the opportunities to be salt and light. I rejoice in the life I have. Clearly, though, I have a way to go in figuring it out.
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