Blog

Much Ado About Something

Church Tossing as a Blood Sport

My husband and I had been attending a church for over 20 years.  I never caused trouble, even though I did have some minor concerns, until one day my exasperation overflowed.  What I did next started a conflagration.  A pastor taught one Sunday about resting in the Lord.  It focused to a certain extent on getting good rest, or sleep.  Sleeping without a cell phone by your bed, sleep studies, how the particular pastor behaved when sleep-deprived, etc.  There was a pleasant nod in the direction of scripture but I walked out frustrated at what I perceived to be a message that completely missed the point of trusting in God, through knowledge of Him, and finding rest in that understanding that comes through deep study of the Word of God.

The church put up a post on Facebook about the sermon.  There was accommodation for comments below and I said “Come on (name of church) let’s study the Word“!  Or something to that effect.  I should never have fallen for the apparent invitation to ‘comment’.  It should have warned me that only laudatory comments could be made or all hell would break loose.  

I met with the senior pastor for two and a half hours.  We talked things over at length, I later provided some well-documented information pertaining to a woman who was coming to speak and is doctrinally light in the loafers.  The decision was made that she was worthy to address our church and deep inside of me hope, and confidence in where the church was headed, simply died.

I did email the pastor that I would blog about what I was starting to research and there’s the rub.  I have been “disfellowshipped” and named as a slanderer and gossip.

As I’ve spent at least 2 weeks, absorbing more of the Word and contemplating why I would confront and scold men I should have been submitted to, self-recrimination was foremost in my mind.  What on earth motivated me to take on a fight against overwhelming odds?  Then I came upon a startling study on the spark that ignited this forest fire and all the lights came on.

The modern church has approved, supported, and executed erosion of God’s Word.

This is kind of long so let me sum it up.  It starts with a passage in the book of Amos.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.  They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. ~Amos 8:11,12

What could possibly make the very Word of God disappear?  Another question is why are people seeking it so desperately.  It would seem we are much more likely, whether we call ourselves Christians or not, to avoid it at all costs.  The Word is sometimes just so hard.  That’s why Emerging Church techniques are delightful, that’s why the Mormon-controlled entertainment The Chosen is all the rage.  That’s why devotional books and quotes are the bomb and fraudulent translations like The Message and The Passion are the holy grail for shallow ‘believers’.  Studying the Bible seems exhausting until you actually Just Do It and then you learn it’s so endlessly fascinating you can barely put it down.  Plus it saves your life.

I’m betting that’s why people are literally running after the Word, but they shall not find it.  Where did it go?  It’s being stolen right under our noses as we read it online.  The words are being replaced, small, incremental changes so it will appear you are a trouble-making nitpicker if you point it out.  We are in a time when the very definition of words is being changed, i.e. calling a shot that permanently changes your DNA a “vaccine” being the most obvious.  When people don’t know what words mean, switching them out is absurdly easy.  Before you know it, you will be following a lie and will be absolutely convinced it’s the Word of God.

How do we sidestep this threat?  Get to a church that teaches the Word. We’ve made our way to Candlelight Christian Fellowship where literal passages of the Bible are taken, oddly enough . . . literally.  Choose a Bible that is as close to accurate as possible and go old school, not online. And follow the advice of Psalms 119.

How can a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed according to Your word.  With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!  Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.  Blessed are You, O Lord!  Teach me Your statutes.  With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth.  I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.  I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.  Psalms 119: 9-16

We have been warned against deception but I think we little realized how insidious and pervasive it would become.  Go deeply into the Word, and run to the Lord.  The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.  Hide His Word in your heart and hide in Him.  The storm is upon us, take shelter.  You might get tossed out of a church, but you’ll be found in Christ.

When it comes to the word of the Lord – stay thirsty my friends.