Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
@#$%
Jesus prayed,
"I'm praying not only for them
but also for them
who will believe
in
Me
because of them
and
their witness about Me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind
just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You...
Then the world might believe that You, in fact, sent Me...
Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
and give the godless world evidence
that You've sent Me
and
loved them
in the same way
You've loved Me."
John 17
The Message
@#$%
@#$%
She/he
wanted to be moderator sooooooo
badly, wasn't elected, and walked away from...
She/he
wanted to be the highest judicial officer in the franchise sooooooo badly, wasn't
elected, and walked away from...
The local clergy
association splintered because the hardening left and the hardening right
- mirror reflections of style if not substance - could not come together on
anything even Jesus; so they formed other alliances that begged unity sooooooo badly even as
they walked away from...
They wanted their
thing to be the or
at least a thing
of the denomination sooooooo
badly, didn't make a good enough case for funding/focus,
established a paradenominational
to do their thing, and, essentially, walked away from...
Funny how those
same cats who want something sooooooo
badly, don't get it, and then walk away sooooooo triumphantly like the only ones
who've ever read 2 Corinthians 6 not to mention 1 Corinthians 6 sooooooo out of
context yet complain
when members of "their" churches do the same my-way-or-the-highway jig
because they wanted their things sooooooo
badly...
Sometimes sheep follow
shepherds too closely.
@#$%
My mom gets mad
at me when I mention some lust that I'd like to satisfy.
She comes from
the generation that likes to build up their preachers to unrealistic
expectations only to tear 'em down when their humanity is inevitably disclosed.
Of course, like
most moms, she just cares what other people think of me.
Too late.
I can't seem to
get this through to her: you're damned if you do and damned if you don't which
means the best way to live is to dump your garbage before others dig it up in a
vain attempt to show how much better they are than...
Kinda like the
folks who leave one stinking denomination for another stinking denomination as
if someone's ___ don't stink.
Anyway, though it's
more of a Berufed longing
than lust, she's mad 'cause I expect rich people to bankroll mission
journeys like the one(s) that I mentioned in the last edition.
Uh, Jesus said
that's what they're/we're supposed to do with what He's entrusted to them/us.
"To those to
whom..."
James 4:3 has
become the context of all my substantive
prayers.
I have no doubt
He will provide for every missionary journey - yours/mine/theirs.
When God doesn't provide
the resources, I know He hasn't been calling.
Whenever He's
calling, He provides.
No doubt.
Hence, as OC
wrote, strong calm sanity.
@#$%
Getting back to
that other truth about schism, some folks look in the mirror and see Jesus.
Seriously.
Stupidly.
Auto-suggestion?
Too much weed?
That's another
truth about schism.
You don't have to
pay attention to Jesus if you think you are...
@#$%
Blessings and Love!
6 comments:
And yet they are, in so many ways, such good people, and usually so much better than I am.
Certainly, we share/own the same sentiments; though from what I have read from you, brother, you're a much better man than moi.
Apart from you and much more like me, I know of two fellahs personally who left their denominations and then would have nothing to do with decades-old friends who would not join them because they would not, uh, join them and validate their schism.
With another friend, I wept for a long time; until one day after praying, I followed my typical pattern of Bible-reading prep for prayer led by the Spirit and landed on Proverbs 18:1.
Reading it in Hebrew and then several translations, I was released from the old pain while a new one generated and I know you know what I mean.
The difference between those who stay and those who go is often as simple as what I was inspired/indigested to say about those two fellahs.
The only difference between them and us is we know we're hypocrites.
Keep keepin' on, my friend.
But is it schism when the franchise you grew up in, moves away from the beliefs that you were taught?
Is it schism to want to move to a franchise where the Word is upheld, and not the world?
Is it schism to leave a franchise where its board of retirement votes to affirm those living outside the bounds of marriage as taught in the Bible??
What I keep thinking about is that the Reformed Church was itself schismatic. If I truly opposed schism I'd meet with a priest, study and return to the Non-schmismatic faith - Roman Catholic. Otherwise I am actively participating in a schismatic church. How can I condemn others for doing what I continue to participate in?
Reformed Catholic,
Helpful interrogatives, friend.
Bonhoeffer: "When Christ calls, He bids, 'Come and die with Me.' It may be a death like the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow Him...or it may be a death like Luther's who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world."
Sometimes schismatics seem to be returning to the monastery; reminding me of old saint Hans Evans who said to me as a young schismatic, "Stay in our denomination! It's the best mission field open to us today!"
Selah.
PCUSA Retired,
Interesting point, friend.
While I may be wrong, I think the reforming tradition has more often been about reforming by staying as in ecclessia reformata semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei.
Or something like that.
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