Apostle Malm is all indignant today concerning those that profane his so called 'sabbath'. A reader of his site posted the following comment which they both obviously take great delight in seeing what happened to one of the cooks.
It seems that a COGWA congregation held a potluck/dance during UB. What irritates the writer and Apostle Malm is that they cancelled Sabbath services that day so that those who were driving a long distance could meet together in fellowship with a potluck and a dance.
But their biggest offense was that on the last day of UB several men cooked turkey, lamb and briskets to feed the congregation gathered for the last 'holy' day of UB. Pay particular attention to the last sentence. In the writers mind and in Apostle Malm, is evidence of God's righteous judgement in action for all the church to see! Profane the 'holy day' and suffer God's wrath!
The Sabbath before last day of Unleavened Bread, all services in North Carolina were canceled. ( COGWA ) A catered meal was planned $20.00 per person children free. And a dance that night. There were 190 or more present. Arranged by Ron Kelly. It was held in Burlington N C. A long Sabbath drive for many.
Then on last day Unleavened Bread a great feast was held in the Raleigh area. Several men cooked meat and trimmings for 85 app. Turkeys lamb and beef brisket was cooked on the High Day. 80 lbs of meat and all was eaten as reported to me per my inquiry. This is the congregation that Clyde Kilough pastors. Just learned that the gentleman doing the cooking had a mild heart attack and has to see a cardiologist.
Then Apostle Malm goes on with another snipe at a UCG elder that cracked a joke on the night of UCG's 'passover.'
It is also reported that a certain overseer of a Passover service in UCG BI was busy cracking jokes and appeared less than sober at the Passover.
This seems consistant with the general fixation on personal pleasure and pollution of the Sabbath and Holy Days extant in most COGs today.
Thank goodness I easily understood that all this law keeping silliness was not required of Church members when the changes started happening. The sad part is watching people who had a knee jerk reaction and now are far more legalistic than WCG ever was. They have placed a yoke and a burden on their members that robs them of all joy, happiness and peace. They will never be able to measure up to all the rules and regulations and will be constantly beating themselves up.
Sadly they perceive their only hope is their yearly 'passover' service where they think their slate has been wiped clean on that night. Their only problem is that the very next day or so they will break one of their laws and their suffering will begin all over again. It is a vicious endless cycle of hopelessness perpetuated by spiritually deviate church leaders.
Near as I can tell, they all kept the Passover and the Days on the wrong dates.
ReplyDeleteIf true, what now?
We have always been a bunch of weirdos. I remember one "passover" service in particular. We were meeting in a City Hall building. There was about 200 of us. All the men had to get up and walk to another room down the hall. It was like sheep to the slaughter. You could have heard a pin drop. When I marched into the room, being close to the end of the line, I smiled and almost said something. I was happy, but everyone else had a frown on their faces. I mean EVERYONE! We had to wait for about 10 minutes. No one said anything to anyone. Sad and unhappy faces. You could tell it was an acting job. I almost walked out. I was so fed up with the hypocrisy. It should have been a time of great joy, but we always turned it into an unhappy event, and were constantly told that we were scum on a maggot's ass and didn't even deserve to darken the door at services. Oh god! I'm glad that's all behind me now!
ReplyDeleteA D-Head, is a D-Head, is a D-Head.
ReplyDeleteAs my Analysis and Design professor used to say, "He too will die, and pass from the scene."
We can only hope he takes his absurd attitudes with him.
Steve- I remember my first Passover in one of the COG splinters. There was about seven of us. I was perplexed as to why everyone had these dour, constipated looks on their faces; why everyone was reading Exodus in gloomy silence, as if they were cramming for a test. I later learned that it was to be a "solemn occasion." Meaning, when you walk into the little hotel meeting room, you had to put a dour, constipated look on your face and read your Bible in silence. It was silly, even then.
ReplyDeleteCOG Passover never made sense to me. As a commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ? Sure. But in the COG is wasn't- it was more. It was an annual super-duper forgiveness of sins, as opposed to the daily (sometimes hourly) prayers begging for forgiveness of sin. I guess it was to wash away the residual buildup of sin one collected over the course of the year- the ones you forgot to pray for.
Regarding Malm- what about all those lawless members who didn't have a heart attack? Does this mean god was only partially displeased? Or was he pleased and the one heart attack was a fluke?
Paul Ray
I don't get it? The First and Last Days of Unleavened Bread are the only annual Sabbaths on which cooking is allowed; or is this apostate group not reading the Bible anymore, either?
ReplyDeleteSo. Where's the beef? We always had a potluck on the First and Last Days of Unleavened Bread, in between services, in the Worldwide Church of God.
When i was a student in the mid-fifties, the congregation was still relatively small. We had a potluck gathering on the old tennis court between MayFair and the Library-classroom building on the First night of Unleavened bread every year for a while. I don't remember when it ceased because of exponential growth.
ReplyDeleteIt was always a beautiful full moon night and really rather wonderful. All religions are adept at placing celebrations around full moons. Takes no genius to figure the reason for that one out. It constitutes one of the "good" memories of my years in what became a regime of anything but joy.
Allen: Perhaps we have crossed wires in our communications, somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI am referring to (and the original post is discussing) the between-double-services potlucks WCG used to hold, on the First and Last Days of Unleavened Bread (during the day).
Perhaps you are thinking of the Night to Be Much Remembered/Observed, which was not a commanded assembly, merely a tradition of the Church? I continue to have fond memories of those, as well, which were indeed, held on the night of the full moon, between Passover and the First Day of Unleavened Bread.