Who Do They Think They Are?

I’m getting so sick and tired of these church leaders telling others that they are hurting Christ in some way by doing what they can define as some ‘sin’.  Notice these ‘sins’ might not be in the bible – nor even hinted at – but they make up some pet sin anyway.

Their words are sweet, and the tone is so mellow as they chant their poison to others.  They basically are preaching hate, and this should be non existent in our places of worship.

Did you ever notice that some circles ALWAYS see the ‘worse’ in everyone except themselves?  It seems taking the speck out of their own eye prior to dealing with the log in someone else’s ONLY applies when they feel it does. 

Who do they think they are?

Should I leave my church?

What a personal question, and I’m sorry I feel is a personal answer as well.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?  by Albert Mohler

I will admit that some reasons people leave a church are rather baffling, but everyone needs to find a church (if they feel draw to belong to one) that feeds them in a profitable way.  What I mean by that is DO THEY bring you closer to Christ, and feed your soul to live for him?!    If they can’t reach you?  They can’t feed you or teach you either. 

If you think about it’s a rather ‘dahhhhh’ moment.   Isn’t serving, worship, teaching, learning, etc important aspects of your faith journey?   Sure it is!  I guess you can robotically do your share, and stay…but why?  Find a place of worship that is able to reach you and your family.  That is SO important!

One of Mohler’s side notes is about people leaving over the worship music.

One person maybe more receptive to the older hymns that I grew up on, and others may need the more contemporary theme.  For myself?  I enjoy both at times. 

Some hymns seem to drone on and on and put me to sleep.  Some contemporary music seems to lack the substance I feel is needed.   Neither are perfect.

I will say most of the churches that I have attended play more than one song, and if I don’t enjoy one – I may enjoy another.    No church will ever give you 100% of your taste in music 100% of the time.  That’s okay as well!  It happens.  I may enjoy the music one week, and not the other.  Big deal. 

I love music myself, and it does effect my mood and receptiveness at times.  NOT always, but sometimes! So if all I hear is long droning hymns?  I maybe snoring during the sermon as they have already put me to sleep. 

If all I hear is no substance contemporary music – that repeats one line over and OVER again all the time – I feel like they want me to be in some hypnotic state, and you will lose me once again.

That is just me, and my reactions maybe different from others.  Its okay.  God made us all custom, and we all are different.  Don’t tell me I’m BAD because I don’t react as you do. 

If you can’t go along with SOME program YOU are hurting the cause of Christ.   I’m sorry, but that is SO dumb and out of touch with most of mankind.

Just as a side note I have never left a church over their music myself.  I would also offer up that most people that mention the ‘music’ will also have other issues as well.  I don’t think they pay attention to that part, because telling others they left the church over music?  WELL it helps their ego a bit! Calling people ‘church shoppers’, and making them sound selfish for leaving?  Sigh.

I mean WHO do they think THEY ARE?

What The Extremists Have In Common

From time to time we have all seen different types of Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc.  By that I mean some are more extreme than others.  Then of course you have different grades of extreme. 

We will show you what the average Joe Believes compared to US – the FAITHFUL!

I think most Christians would point out Westboro Church as one extreme for Christianity, and we don’t need to go into how evil they portray themselves as.  I truly think they have some major screws loose.

Then of course more recently we have had our experiences of seeing what extremists over in the middle east can do over what they CLAIM was an insult to their faith due to some stupid film.  I say stupid, because even if most people actually had seen the trailer (which I had not) – not FILM as they claim on Youtube?  I doubt very much they would have stayed to watch the entire thing.  Most people wouldn’t have got past the first 2 minutes without exiting the video.  It was that badly done, and they wouldn’t have bothered wasting brain cells on it.  That’s the reality of it. 

Both of these examples are extreme to the point of dangerous, and quite frankly claim they are protesting against something ‘awful and evil’.  If you look past the surface?  Westboro Church shows you a God that pretty much hates everyone, and anyone.  The militants in the middle east are playing out revenge, and using their own people under the guise of ‘lack of respect and honor’ towards their faith.

Most extreme groups like this use propaganda, and they point out some fringe group as their examples of ‘the average everyday joe’.   This of course is to be used to show how ‘evil’ most people are, and how ‘faithful’ they are in comparison. 

The extreme complementarians do this as well.   They use the most extreme models to ratchet up their ‘us against them’ game. 

Most can see how some groups are more successful at their lies and deceit than others.  I feel sorry badly for their victims, and pray for them as well.  I don’t think they realize they are being used.

The Extreme Feminist beliefs BACKFIRE!

Recently, Elizabeth Esther had an article that represents the extreme case you hear about towards feminism.  The old tired speech about how they only think of themselves, and hate children, etc.  She pointed out a poster child article of just that.  Disappearing Mothers was the title of the article, and quite frankly the author seems so out of touch with reality its not even funny. 

An Open Letter from a Pastor to Pastors

There are so many people living in desperation and isolation, looking at the church being silent, and hearing that silence as even coming from God himself.  It’s time that they at least have an acknowledgment that what has happened to them has been soul-altering and life-changing.

– Pastor Gary Morgan (Cowboy Church of Ellis County – Texas)

Its been one hell of day.  Can I say that?  Why not – its my blog right?

I have been recovering from pneumonia recently, and so I have been so worn down it isn’t even funny.  It sure does take so much out of you.

Anyway, I received an email that just rocked my world. 

Abuse and Pastors: An Open Letter from a Pastor to Pastors

The following letter is a tool that I have written.  My desire is that it be sent to pastors to help open their eyes to the misuse of power and control in their churches, and to caution them regarding how very easily any of us can become guilty of lording it over our people.
In particular, I want to assist pastors and church leaders to understand that one extremely common scenario which is occurring in our conservative, Bible-believing churches with alarming regularity, concerns how we are mishandling cases of abuse (both domestic and sexual) that are brought to our attention and/or occurring right under our noses within our own congregations.
Readers are freely granted permission to reproduce this letter and use it to good ends.  Please do not alter or change the wording.  We would be very interested in hearing from anyone who uses this as a tool to call the body of Christ to justice and wisdom in dealing with the oppressed.
To the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Pastor Jeff Crippen,
Tillamook, Oregon

This is Pastor Jeff’s introduction, and I encourage you to go and read it.  He also has given you the permission to share it word for word.  You may also share it with your pastor or church as well.  It’s a letter FROM a pastor to other PASTORS!

If you like to hear sermons on domestic violence?  Jeff Crippen is on sermon audio with a nice series you can listen too.

In the letter he speaks of a journey he and his church went on.  How they had to take certain traditions of the church, and place them on their heads.  I highly doubt most churches or clergy mean to come across with the wrong type of message, but I have to admit they do seem to hard headed at times to go against a tradition that seriously needs to be looked at.  I call it tradition, because quite frankly that is all it is.  They feel it is truth, but when their truth oppresses so many people?  They seriously need to take a closer glance don’t you think?

Mutuality or Bait and Switch?

The problem has been compounded by the fact that some complementarians seem to shy away from using the term mutuality. Perhaps they would rather avoid the word than attempt to extricate it from egalitarian connotations. That’s too bad, because both the egalitarian effort to redefine the word, and the complementarian hesitation to wholly embrace it, obscure a profound biblical truth: Complementarity fosters mutuality at a far deeper level than sameness does.

– Mary Kassian

Mary Kassian started a series called, Complementarity & Mutuality.


The comments were particularly interesting reading.  She was called out on the terms that they tend to use regularly to define the differences between complementarian and egalitarian beliefs.  The strange part to me?  She tends to redefine ‘belief’ systems with her own terminology.

The points that were made is that you can’t find these terms like ‘sameness’ or ‘role-interchangeability’ outside the complementarian realm.  These terms are not used within the Egalitarian circles, and makes it is confusing as to why they need to use them at all.

Mary Kassian basically said she couldn’t come up with better terminology, and how semantics are confusing.  (shrugs) I guess that means they made up something, because they can’t figure out how better to describe it.  It certainly takes much away from what some think she is trying to say.

I think most would find that explanation rather disingenuous.  

I mean all you have to truly do is google the term Christian Egalitarian, and come up with a better definition that uses plain English without extras. 

Let try that:

Christian egalitarianism holds that all people are equal before God and in Christ; have equal responsibility to use their gifts and obey their calling to the glory of God; and are called to roles and ministries without regard to class, gender, or race.

Makes a bit more sense than ‘sameness’ or ‘role-interchangeability’ doesn’t it?  Most would be able to understand the term ‘mutuality’ within the above definition as well – without her make up words.

Readers seem confused between complementarian versus hierarchy

If you look a bit closer?  Most of the questions to her were about hierarchy, and how that plays into life.  Mary Kassian is forever stating that complementarian belief systems is not the same as hierarchy as some are describing it.

So why are they are always making these debates about complementarian compared to egalitarian?   That doesn’t seem to be the debate at all.   At least to her readers that have questions!

People are confused about what complementarian stand truly IS!  How it is different from ‘traditionalism’ or ‘hierarchicalism’ as she quoted it.

If you notice the comments, questions, and explanations given most of the time on their information has more to do with what Mary Kassian terms as: ‘hierarchicalism wrapped in legalism’.  Last time I checked?  That has nothing to do with egalitarian beliefs.

Instead of getting defensive … stand up against these teachings that harm so many, and do so with more than a sentence or two stating that isn’t what you MEAN or how your beliefs work!

What it shows is that they have a HUGE hindrance in regards to their definition of what they believe.  Her articles on strawman’s or complementarian’s for dummies don’t seem to be doing her position any justice.  It seems she is to vague as to what it is – as opposed to what it isn’t.

Why do they keep presenting things as ‘complementarian versus egalitarian’ then?  I would guess that is something she would rather discuss, but it should tell them something when they can’t get past the ‘hierarchical’ portion of the discussion.   There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what the difference is.

Maybe they can could make up some more words to make it more clear?!    I wouldn’t recommend it, because their made up terminology thus far isn’t doing them any favors.