This is, very definitely, putting the cart before the horse and describes something that I am convinced, more and more, will never happen. But, in the loss of our wonderful friend Maggie, our Golden Retriever, I have come to understand that people each have a unique style of grieving.
I've blogged about Maggie many times, during her prime, her decline and death and in the aftermath of losing her and I won't analyze why she affected me as profoundly as she did.
But, I will say that Evie and I both felt her loss intensely but that we have dealt with losing her in very different ways, ways that are natural to us. And, I'll add, ways that could have created conflict if we were both not as self-aware and as committed to each other as we are.
----------------
In recent years, I've made a serious study of repentance in the Word, in history and from practicing it and in calling others to repent. And, I have learned some things that I am confident are true.
A cornerstone truth about repentance is that the act of repenting is part of a process and that repentance is fruit of what must come before it. One thing that absolutely must come before repentance is, as Paul says it, godly grief, or as the NIV translates him, godly sorrow.
One reason I see no reason for hope for the CGGC at this moment is that I see no evidence of grief on any mountaintop that is visible to me. I see contentment there tinged, perhaps, with mild concern about the future if our fortunes don't change.
Trust me. Without repentance, our fortunes will not change.
---------------------
A serious problem for us now is that (mostly) men gifted to be shepherds dominate us. Shepherds resist repentance because they comfort the grieving. Prophets, on the other hand, pour gasoline on the fire that is godly grief.
If, someday, by an act of accepting the work of the Holy Spirit, we would give in to the godly grief He would create, we could repent.
Then shepherds could have one of the roles designed for them by the ruler of the Kingdom. They could channel the godly grief in its great variety of styles so that it could lead to a repentance that leads to salvation.
To do that, though, our shepherd mountaintoppers are going to have to step aside. They are going to have to allow the Spirit to lead us, as He did in our movement days.
In the history of God's people, though, when shepherds achieve dominance, they very rarely step aside.
They are normally either crushed or allowed to see their fiefdoms dwindle to nothing, as appears to be the case in our current decline, or they are gone around through the empowerment of a new movement, as is, really, how the Church of God came to be in the first place.
---------------
We all must repent but the shepherd mountaintoppers really must repent. And, step aside in favor of the Holy Spirit.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Gathering 8-28-16: A Restaurant Retreat
Two of our worlds are colliding.
Mom and dad are downsizing from their Independent Living apartment into a much smaller, two room Assisted Living unit. And, we are preparing for that move.
Dad was less than a month short of his fourth birthday on Black Friday in 1929. His childhood was defined by the Great Depression. Mom was born during the Depression in a family that would have been poor even in good times.
They are not hoarders. Everything about them has always been tidy and well organized but they have always found it hard to throw possessions away. And, so, they have, literally, tons of stuff. Day by day, Evie brings more of it to our place where it is being stored until we and the rest of the family can decide what to do about it.
And our small condo is so overstuffed that we can't host a gathering.
So, the plan is to offer to take the core of the Sunday group for an early lunch at our expense. The people from the home are so glad to eat anything other than institutional food that they are always pleased on these days.
A few others may come to join us at their own expense.
We used to try to take the Bread and the Cup on these occasions but I, at least, have concluded that it's too hard to do in a way that is not unworthy, so we no longer even try.
Evie and I are both so tired that we'd be happy not to do even this.
We will do our best to fulfill the purpose of gatherings and attempt to spur one another on to love and good works, but it will be an effort.
Mom and dad are downsizing from their Independent Living apartment into a much smaller, two room Assisted Living unit. And, we are preparing for that move.
Dad was less than a month short of his fourth birthday on Black Friday in 1929. His childhood was defined by the Great Depression. Mom was born during the Depression in a family that would have been poor even in good times.
They are not hoarders. Everything about them has always been tidy and well organized but they have always found it hard to throw possessions away. And, so, they have, literally, tons of stuff. Day by day, Evie brings more of it to our place where it is being stored until we and the rest of the family can decide what to do about it.
And our small condo is so overstuffed that we can't host a gathering.
So, the plan is to offer to take the core of the Sunday group for an early lunch at our expense. The people from the home are so glad to eat anything other than institutional food that they are always pleased on these days.
A few others may come to join us at their own expense.
We used to try to take the Bread and the Cup on these occasions but I, at least, have concluded that it's too hard to do in a way that is not unworthy, so we no longer even try.
Evie and I are both so tired that we'd be happy not to do even this.
We will do our best to fulfill the purpose of gatherings and attempt to spur one another on to love and good works, but it will be an effort.
Friday, August 26, 2016
A Gift of the Movie, GOD'S NOT DEAD
A few days ago, a guy I work with, who is a Millennial, came into the store on his day off to present to me a copy of the movie, GOD IS NOT DEAD. He had just acquired a spare copy and knew I had never seen it.
Yesterday we watched it. I'm not going to review the movie here, apart from a brief observation later.
What I will do is comment on the tone of the movie in light of my recent post in which I describe what unchurched seekers consider to be a "true" Christian.
The movie has a number of story lines, most prominently one about a college freshman who stands up radically and without compromise for his faith in the face of a professor who asks all of his students to hand in a paper stating that God is dead, hence the title of the movie.
When my young friend and coworker ended up with an extra copy of the film, it occurred to him to gift it to me.
I asked myself why.
Honestly, my answer is that he sees me as a radical, uncompromising follower of Jesus, and that he wants to be that himself.
In that other post about what people think is a true Christian, I said that Evie and I aspire to be red letter Christians and that I fail to achieve that but am very intentional in that goal while, so often, the lives of church people are tepid and bland.
I strive to be an ambassador for the Kingdom in the world, not a representative of a church. And, I believe, someone noticed.
I have to say that I didn't really enjoy the movie but I will cherish my copy of it forever because it represents to me my young co-worker's recognition of my desire to be radical and uncompromising in my walk.
Yesterday we watched it. I'm not going to review the movie here, apart from a brief observation later.
What I will do is comment on the tone of the movie in light of my recent post in which I describe what unchurched seekers consider to be a "true" Christian.
The movie has a number of story lines, most prominently one about a college freshman who stands up radically and without compromise for his faith in the face of a professor who asks all of his students to hand in a paper stating that God is dead, hence the title of the movie.
When my young friend and coworker ended up with an extra copy of the film, it occurred to him to gift it to me.
I asked myself why.
Honestly, my answer is that he sees me as a radical, uncompromising follower of Jesus, and that he wants to be that himself.
In that other post about what people think is a true Christian, I said that Evie and I aspire to be red letter Christians and that I fail to achieve that but am very intentional in that goal while, so often, the lives of church people are tepid and bland.
I strive to be an ambassador for the Kingdom in the world, not a representative of a church. And, I believe, someone noticed.
I have to say that I didn't really enjoy the movie but I will cherish my copy of it forever because it represents to me my young co-worker's recognition of my desire to be radical and uncompromising in my walk.
Could I get into this much Trouble for Being Wrong?
Unsubstantiated rumors persist that the ERC defrocked me in session this past April and there is a question that has been going through mind since I got the first rumblings that I was being whacked on the orders of the ERC's Shepherd Mafia. And, this is that question:
Could I have gotten into this much trouble for being wrong?
Reports I've received from people who attended Conference say that when the desire of the mountaintoppers to defrock me was brought to the floor that it was clear that many of the delegates didn't even know who I am and far fewer had read or even heard of this blog.
So, why go to all the trouble to whack me?
What does the whacking say about the mountaintoppers?
And, what does it say about me?
I don't really know the answer to those questions but I will note that the predictions that I have made here about the continuing decline of our ministry have been accurate and that I have repeatedly said that, if the mountaintoppers are going to lead a change in our fortunes, they are going to have to repent and lead the body in repentance. They remain hard-hearted to both of those calls.
Many other people criticize Conference leaders, some even mock them, though, admittedly, not as straightforwardly as I do and those people often do it in a gossippy way, behind their backs.
I don't know, but I genuinely do wonder if the ERC mountaintoppers have whacked me for no other reason than that I have been hitting the nail on the head as far as they are concerned: That I, very simply, am in trouble because I have been right about them.
All of us must repent.
Could I have gotten into this much trouble for being wrong?
Reports I've received from people who attended Conference say that when the desire of the mountaintoppers to defrock me was brought to the floor that it was clear that many of the delegates didn't even know who I am and far fewer had read or even heard of this blog.
So, why go to all the trouble to whack me?
What does the whacking say about the mountaintoppers?
And, what does it say about me?
I don't really know the answer to those questions but I will note that the predictions that I have made here about the continuing decline of our ministry have been accurate and that I have repeatedly said that, if the mountaintoppers are going to lead a change in our fortunes, they are going to have to repent and lead the body in repentance. They remain hard-hearted to both of those calls.
Many other people criticize Conference leaders, some even mock them, though, admittedly, not as straightforwardly as I do and those people often do it in a gossippy way, behind their backs.
I don't know, but I genuinely do wonder if the ERC mountaintoppers have whacked me for no other reason than that I have been hitting the nail on the head as far as they are concerned: That I, very simply, am in trouble because I have been right about them.
All of us must repent.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
A Piece of Junk Mail?!?!? A Report to My Commission
There are times when I am so taken aback by circumstances that I have no words, even coherent thoughts. Something that happened a week ago still has me flummoxed.
I work late on Wednesdays and go straight to bed when I get home. When I hauled myself out of bed on Thursday morning, Evelyn showed me an envelope from the previous day's mail and said, "Do you want to see what was in the Certified Letter from the Conference that you didn't accept?"
I took it from her.
It was a plain, business size, white envelope with my name hand printed in blue ink. There was no return address but a Harrisburg post mark and, ironically--and I love this irony--a "Forever" stamp.
Most importantly to me, there was no return address.
I never, ever answer a phone call if I don't recognize the number of the caller. I figure that if the person really wants to talk to me they can leave a message and, if the message is important to me, I'll return it.
It's the same with junk mail. I never open it.
Any piece of mail with no return address on it is classified as junk, if it is addressed to me. It goes through the shredder.
(By the way, there has been no other contact from the Conference regarding the status of my credentials.)
Having said that, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to be sent a piece of junk mail which anyone with half a brain would strongly suspect was from the Conference concerning something as, uh, trivial? as my defrockment.
At this point, my brain is still frozen about this, but two basic questions do come to mind. One is the question of how stupid the ERC mountaintoppers think we are.
The other is: How far will the ERC go in disobeying Jesus in dealing with someone it believes has sinned? Jesus is crystal clear about that. And, isn't His goal forgiveness and reconciliation, not condemnation?
The answer for me, at this point, to the how far in disobedience they will go is that ERC leaders will go much farther than even I could have imagined.
Is it any wonder that the Lord is withholding His blessing from us?
YIKES, fellas!
I work late on Wednesdays and go straight to bed when I get home. When I hauled myself out of bed on Thursday morning, Evelyn showed me an envelope from the previous day's mail and said, "Do you want to see what was in the Certified Letter from the Conference that you didn't accept?"
I took it from her.
It was a plain, business size, white envelope with my name hand printed in blue ink. There was no return address but a Harrisburg post mark and, ironically--and I love this irony--a "Forever" stamp.
Most importantly to me, there was no return address.
I never, ever answer a phone call if I don't recognize the number of the caller. I figure that if the person really wants to talk to me they can leave a message and, if the message is important to me, I'll return it.
It's the same with junk mail. I never open it.
Any piece of mail with no return address on it is classified as junk, if it is addressed to me. It goes through the shredder.
(By the way, there has been no other contact from the Conference regarding the status of my credentials.)
Having said that, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to be sent a piece of junk mail which anyone with half a brain would strongly suspect was from the Conference concerning something as, uh, trivial? as my defrockment.
At this point, my brain is still frozen about this, but two basic questions do come to mind. One is the question of how stupid the ERC mountaintoppers think we are.
The other is: How far will the ERC go in disobeying Jesus in dealing with someone it believes has sinned? Jesus is crystal clear about that. And, isn't His goal forgiveness and reconciliation, not condemnation?
The answer for me, at this point, to the how far in disobedience they will go is that ERC leaders will go much farther than even I could have imagined.
Is it any wonder that the Lord is withholding His blessing from us?
YIKES, fellas!
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Sabbathing: 8-21-16
Today is a day we don't meet with our Sunday group. I've said before that, as much as I am blessed by our gatherings, none of them can compare with the weeks we don't gather.
And, I'm beginning to wonder if that's not God's way anyway. We know that the omnipotent Lord rested on the seventh day. Certainly, He didn't need the rest. And, we know that He commanded Israel to make rest on the seventh day the sign that it is keeping His covenant with it.
I find that I groove on a day committed to rest and that I thrive when I do it.
Last night, I worked the closing shift at the store. On Saturday, closing, in my department, ends with a grueling hour after the store actually closes and I woke up today hurting a little.
The rest is good physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a genuine blessing.
Forget the Sunday morning show. I'll take this over that any day it's available to me.
And, I'm beginning to wonder if that's not God's way anyway. We know that the omnipotent Lord rested on the seventh day. Certainly, He didn't need the rest. And, we know that He commanded Israel to make rest on the seventh day the sign that it is keeping His covenant with it.
I find that I groove on a day committed to rest and that I thrive when I do it.
Last night, I worked the closing shift at the store. On Saturday, closing, in my department, ends with a grueling hour after the store actually closes and I woke up today hurting a little.
The rest is good physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a genuine blessing.
Forget the Sunday morning show. I'll take this over that any day it's available to me.
On Being Known as a "True" Christian
Not long ago, I exchanged a few messages with someone who used to be a coworker and, for a time, a participant in our Sunday house gathering and she mentioned someone she knows whom she considers to be, using her word, a "true" Christian. And, based on things she's said to me in the past, implied in that comment she was implying "like Evie and you."
And, it occurred to me that, these days, I hear talk about who really is a "true " Christian, from nonchurch, God-seeking people, fairly frequently since I stopped trying to fit in the traditional, institutionalized church.
And, I've been trying to unpack the meaning of the term to those unchurched, God-seeking people.
Here's what I'm concluding:
True Christians are transparently Jesus-driven, not church-consumed, and they live that out uncompromisingly in the world, though they don't necessarily live it out vocally.
Rumor has it that I have been defrocked by my Conference of churches and people hint to me that a reason people oppose me, in that setting, is that I am too uncompromising. Ironically, it seems to me, that, in the nonchurch universe, I stand out, in a way that is attractive and compelling, for that very reason. And, the same seems to be true of Evie.
We are intentionally determined to live as what is sometime called "red letter" people and, in a world filled with church people, it strikes me that that is extremely unusual.
I will say about myself that I don't achieve red letter very well. It also seems to me that it is the sincere attempt, not the success that touches people who are seeking spiritual truth.
In our world the church is declining. And, it seems really to be true that people love Jesus but, more and more all the time, hate the church.
And, it occurred to me that, these days, I hear talk about who really is a "true " Christian, from nonchurch, God-seeking people, fairly frequently since I stopped trying to fit in the traditional, institutionalized church.
And, I've been trying to unpack the meaning of the term to those unchurched, God-seeking people.
Here's what I'm concluding:
True Christians are transparently Jesus-driven, not church-consumed, and they live that out uncompromisingly in the world, though they don't necessarily live it out vocally.
Rumor has it that I have been defrocked by my Conference of churches and people hint to me that a reason people oppose me, in that setting, is that I am too uncompromising. Ironically, it seems to me, that, in the nonchurch universe, I stand out, in a way that is attractive and compelling, for that very reason. And, the same seems to be true of Evie.
We are intentionally determined to live as what is sometime called "red letter" people and, in a world filled with church people, it strikes me that that is extremely unusual.
I will say about myself that I don't achieve red letter very well. It also seems to me that it is the sincere attempt, not the success that touches people who are seeking spiritual truth.
In our world the church is declining. And, it seems really to be true that people love Jesus but, more and more all the time, hate the church.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)