While KD recognizes its readers exceed the parochial bounds of one particular ecclesiastical franchise, we have decided to post this because, uh, we do have some readers within one particular ecclesiastical franchise and beg the prayers of others watching it go down the toilet quicker than poop through a goose.
For more detailed information about this issue please go to churchandworld.com for complete coverage.
Everything but heaven is breaking loose!
I've already heard from several members who want to take down the sign out front and move to major creative neglect concomitant to the franchise.
So sad.
The left has won this battle.
Jesus has/will won/win the war.
Now we must remain faithful...regardless.
Unfortunately, many of our brothers/sisters do not have the courage to do what is necessary because they are so concerned about perks, pensions, and relocation - the high steeplers being most historically culpable. They are so afraid of being black-balled because they want that proverbial "seat at the table" and really don't like where they're currently installed as pastors. Of course, that's why we're in this mess in the first place. The satisfied and nervous have found it too inconvenient to be faithful.
So many of the bravehearts have already gone; and so many of the fainthearts talk the talk but don't...
Correction.
Bravehearts have not gone.
If they were truly bravehearted, they would have remained even it means death in, through, and for Jesus.
Those who have left like the hard left need to remember the Bible is bigger than their favorite parts.
They have proven to be as fainthearted as the fainthearts...
As pour moi, I will pray and labor to become more intimate with Jesus, go deeper than ever before, and ask His help to renounce self.
I am prepared to be even more dissed, disgraced, and, uh, damned for Jesus.
Well, I'm not totally prepared; but I know He will provide the saints to support me in Belvidere and beyond if I look up, stand up, speak up, and act up for Him.
Fortunately, the 99 at First are with it/Him; and the other 1 has already left or are kept in check by the 99 (Romans 16:17-20). God knows we had some snakes among the sheep - wolves in...
Kinda like our franchise.
Our boards are Christocentric, Biblically based, increasingly evangelistic, and learning, avec moi who needs the most help on this, to love Jesus by loving like Jesus.
In other words, we are going nowhere.
We will remain faithfully.
Jesus did not call us to retreat or recluse.
That's for cowards.
We will pray and labor to be a beacon for Jesus and safe haven for everyone who needs to experience His love through His extended family of faith.
While I am overwhelmed with sadness over what has become of our beloved franchise, my passion for knowing Jesus and making Jesus known grows daily with more boldness and less fear.
Aside from our family of faith at Belvidere being with it/Him, there are so many others in Blackhawk Presbytery who get it/Him. While obviously outnumbered by folks who long for the way things never were or maybe were but are no more, we are increasingly bonded by our love for Jesus and are increasingly determined in a Joshua 24:14-15 kinda way.
Our left is not as meanspirited as the rest of 'em in the franchise; and while a tad witless or reckless in what this means juxtaposed to Holy Scripture supported by our confessions and constitution (while we still have one), I am convinced they love Jesus and will be merciful and maybe even inclusive to the increasingly marginalized members who still love Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture and, again, supported by...
Yes, the battle has been lost.
The franchise's thanatos libido accelerates.
Yet Jesus remains Lord and will not be robbed of His victory by wandering sheep who have forgotten He is Lord.
Hence, we will live triumphantly amid the meanness, madness, and misery of a modern world which has so paralyzingly polluted our favorite franchise.
No one can wipe the smiles of joy from our faces!
For He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!
Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus is Lord!
Dressed in His armor, we press on - undaunted and unafraid of the darkness that His light will expose and overcome sooner or later and definitely in the end.
Praise the Lord!
Blessings and Love!
KDs are designed/developed/inspired/mused/auto-suggested/indigested to make folks think; an especially uncommon experience among Democrats, Republicans, and jingoistic mainline denominationalists who continue to discourage dissent with their ever-threatening thought police.
29 comments:
Thanks, Bob,
We are trying! This morning we had quite a number of responses from the entire theological spectrum, all with a link “to the horse’s mouth”, and without our commentary, as we usually do. This is a web site for adults who can think for themselves, and appreciate hearing from all sides. Our editorial policy is, I am sad to say, entirely unique.
But you have known that for a long time, Bob. I write this for some of the recipients who might not be all that familiar with our ways of doing things.
All the best!
Hans
Churchandworld.com
Dear Bob,
A sad time for our franchise, but I don't want to give up my 21 year stated supply--I guess, "May your silver and gold perish with you!"
David Swanson at First Church publicly announced and in the paper today that they are considering leaving or at least somehow changing. They used to have 5,200 members and now have 3,000!
Bruce
The dominos begin to...
My Friend,
My heart goes out to you and to those in your franchise who still love Jesus and eschew evil. I cannot help but compare the fate of the Presbyterian Church to the Captain and the Beloved Church (all believers) to the Ship in Walt Whitman's sad and moving poem. So close are we to the finish line, what a tragedy to lose the way now.
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack,
the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for
you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores
a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
Bless you, dear friend
Ella Jane
Pastor Ella Jane
Ella Jane,
Your faith encourages mine, sister!
Dr. K.,
My heart breaks over this. How tragic and sad. I know this must disturb you greatly. You have our prayers and support.
Crystal
Crystal,
Thanks, dear sister!
Even if you are not a citizen of a country, you are obliged to obey its laws.
Can anyone in the PCUSA remain in good standing without "bending the knee to Baal?"
As usual, my dear brother, you have pricked my conscience to ponder.
You have always been faithful and I thank God for you.
My call may be to exercise a gift used once.
Blessings and Love!
Dear Robert,
I sadly expected this vote to go as it has. My resignation has once again been requested by a congregation that would rather "go along to get along" than "rock the boat". I responded, and was supported in doing so by our C.O.M. (in P.O.V.) with an offer to retire. I will cease pastoral duties December 31, accept 4 months severance and retire April 1st, to go home to my wife's homeland.
But, my tiny portion of the fight is not over yet! I have opportunities to serve as a "Parrish Associate" for one of several sizable overloaded congregations, and thus be a nag on a presbytery...perhaps even my ol' home. After 40 years of being nudged off the end of the pew...ignored when jumping up & down to get a moderator's attention....declared "otter order" innumerably....and asked to leave 4 pastorates....I think it's time for me to raise a little....
Anyhow, lest my writing style begin to imitate yours with unended sentences, I'll just submit that they don't know what they've unleashed! I shall not go quietly into the night. I didn't promise faithfulness unto retirement, but death! I guess I'm gonna' have to learn how to run a website, like you, dear brother!
Among my favorite characters; Bob the Burro's going to have to be let out of his corral. Along with a small pack of hungry otters, I've enough cartoon alter-egos to fill a page a week and illustrate stuff folks don't want to see said. Nuff said for now! God bless you as you remain in the parish front line.
In Him,
Jim
Jim,
Sadly, dear brother, I think you're right.
We will pray His best for all of us; including the ones who have destroyed our beloved (nostalgic) franchise.
Blessings and Love!
I havent been paying much attention to anything other than gas prices, school activities, in fact my own little world and how it seems to rotate round me.....whats happening in your World? What is the Amendment? What have I missed that causes such great distress?
Julie
Julie,
Dang, you're blessed.
But check out www.churchandworld.com for the best summary of all sides on the latest expression of the PCUSA's thanatos libido.
In short, the PCUSA has decided it has "more light" than God has revealed in Jesus and reported in Holy Scripture.
Blessings and Love!
Having been tossed "overboard" by the PC(USA) three and a half years ago now, please let me know what I may do for you and others still aboard the "Titanic." Praying that it's not His will you go down with the ship, but blessing your faithfulness to remain on deck as long as you can!
Jim
Thanks, friend.
Jim,
Yep, I do believe "they" will be coming after dudes like me sooner than later.
"They" want to purge the small "c" church of people who still pray and labor to love Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture.
Blessings and Love!
Sorry Bob – I went to the link for the info on the church – had to do a little work to find the stuff on the amendment… what a truly sad day – but probably not unexpected.
These are the days foretold long ago… but it is a shame that people who once stood for Biblical truth and grace now just want to take the part that pleases them and “love, love, love” without regard to “thus says the Lord.”
Humorously, the next amendment will state that as long as the candidate is in love with his cow and pledges to remain faithful to her, and in all other aspects is qualified for ordination, even though his love relationship used to be condemned by the word ‘beastiality’, we now know that the only thing that matters is ‘committed love relationship.’
Well, I hope the California happy cows are still happy after all this.
Ooops / or is all this just a lot of bull.
Ken
Thanks, friend, I needed the humor!
This makes me so sad! Krista just called having heard similar news in Boulder. We had just been discussing the issue being currently disscussed there (not even debated-but Boulder is like that) about gender being a "feeling" and a person being able to choose (and fluctuate back and forth as needed (felt)! No gender given on birth certificates or dared to be asked at any time in anyway 'cuz it is just a feeling!! Sometimes, I think Jesus just can't come too soon and stop this madness!
I'm so blessed to have a clear thinking and talking Pastor!! God Bless You and Yours and grant you His peace and protection!
I just put the gift on the chain bearing my "Faith" charm. I haven't worn it in a while but felt moved and called to do it NOW! I hope that is a proper thing to do with it. I would like to know more about it. For now, I'll just tell anyone who asks that it was given to me by a friend! "Cuz in deed it was!
God Bless You
You are kind in your estimate of your pastor, dear friend.
What if, Bob?
What if those who have left displayed “the courage to do what is necessary’?
What if those who left are also the bravehearts because they heard a different Word than you and followed Him, also?
What if those who left think that along with the truth of the Word written, the truth of the Word Incarnate must be obeyed and they are not in contradiction?
What if those who left are also dissed, disgraced, and, uh, damned for Jesus by those we left on both the right and the left?
What if love for the Jesus with whom you crave a deeper love and walk, might tell you to love, not only the liberals with whom you stay, but the conservatives who could do nothing else but leave in order to be faithful?
What if, Bob?
Rick
Rick,
You may be right, brother!
Of course, I have never questioned your bravehearted spirit.
You have been documentably faithful; and I cherish the privilege of calling you a brother.
Blessings and Love!
I am praying for you Bob.
Don
Thanks, dear brother.
I have infuriated the hard left by staying and the hard right by, uh, remaining faithfully.
Blessings and Love!
St. Bob,
Keep on Keepin' on Keepin' THE Faith and Givin' some away! 5000 men were fed and satisfied but the 120 (many women including Mary) changed the world! Power to His People!
Dr. Ron Rand
Dearest Bob
I cannot praise God enough for you! I love you and rejoice with you as I read what you wrote in the aftermath of our denomination's decision. God has blessed you with an extraordinary linguistic gift that you speak for Jesus and His Kingdom so powerfully and forcefully. May the Lord continue to bless you to keep on serving Him in our denomination and inspire many of us to do the same.
Joe
Bob and Hans,
Thanks for your continuing witness. My heart grieves for Blackhawk, having served Waltham for sometime and having heard the heartbreak of many other withing Blackhawk who remain in the Franchise there.
Northumberlan Pbty voted 3 to 1 in opposition but still the battles rage and we will remain faithful and point to the clear error or their ways. Stay the course, keep the faith. The victory in ours in Christ Jesus. Amen and Amen!
And while you're at it, check out Gary Miller's blog: http://reforminggary.blogspot.com/2011/05/open-letter-to-my-presbytery.html
Friend, thanks for your continuing affection and prayers; and I agree brother Miller's post warrants prayer, review, and response. Keep on keepin' on!
In high school and college, in the 60' and 70's most of our franchizes ministers that I knew did not believe in the resurrection or the divinity of Christ. When I made a commitment to Christ at the age of 18 (and I became a lover of Jesus and the Bible) that was the church into which Jesus called me to be a pastor. I have no freedom to leave except by ignoring what the Lord told me 40 years ago.
Unfortunately, brother, I understand.
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