We sure do love to wax poetic on here about how tragically broken the various Churches of God have become, especially their spectacular inability to actually meet together and fellowship like—oh, I don't know—actual brethren in Christ. Recently, UCG (United Church of God) extended a gracious olive branch to COGWA (Church of God, a Worldwide Association) and LCG (Living Church of God). And lo and behold, they all solemnly nodded in agreement: yes, their members really do wish everyone could just be together again; yes, the endless splits have been painful, messy, and frankly exhausting.
They even managed to utter the magic words—we need to have agape love for one another. Touching, isn't it? Heartwarming, even. Yet somehow, despite all this profound recognition and these noble admissions, they willfully persist in keeping themselves neatly separated, each in their own little organizational fortress. Because nothing says "agape love" quite like maintaining doctrinal turf wars and separate Feast sites.
UCG has been kind enough to clarify that these high-level kumbaya sessions are strictly private affairs—leadership chatting behind closed doors, while the poor members (the ones who actually long to reunite) are left on the outside looking in, wondering why their heartfelt desires don't merit an invitation to the grown-ups' table. The pride and arrogance of the leaders continue to act as the world's most effective superglue, holding the divisions firmly in place. Meanwhile, they earnestly preach that everyone else should be filled to overflowing with agape love, mutual respect, and brotherly unity... as they all supposedly labor together for Jesus Christ.
Which brings us to the uncomfortable little question that really ought to be asked: Do they actually all work for Jesus Christ? The last forty years of schisms, power struggles, name changes, lawsuits, and fresh acronyms sprouting like weeds have a way of whispering a very different story—one that's far less flattering and a great deal more... human. But hey, at least the sermons still sound spiritual.
Mr. Elliott said he recently visited Mr. Gerald Weston and his staff at the Living Church of God offices in North Carolina. He has also recently spoken with Mr. Jim Franks at the COGWA offices. He mentioned that most of what we all do is done in triplicate, such as with offices, hall rentals, travel, and Feast sites, etc. Mr. Elliott assured everyone that while there is no desire to combine, it seems most members wish we were together. He then compared what has happened in some cases to a divorce in a family. He said such splits are painful, messy and are typically private interactions among a few leaders without members being fully aware or participating. He also mentioned that currently, the “children” of God wish for the “parents” to get back together. He said that, “it does not seem realistic at this point, so we all need to move forward, repenting and striving with agape love and respect for one another and the work we are performing for Jesus Christ.”
He explained that Jesus desires that God’s children all be one (John 17:20-21), and he explained that while we are not all in a single corporation, at least we all need to be one in God and Jesus Christ by having an agape mindset. Let’s all help each other in striving to do just that, please.
3 comments:
Is Christ divided? 1Cor 1:13
I have a feeling that if we were to expand the superficial family metaphor, we would uncover some inconvenient deeper truths.
Not all children in a separated or divorced family would necessarily want the family reunited. Divorce generally happens for specific reasons. Children take sides depending upon the parent to which each primarily relates. There can also be sibling rivalries which cause children to prefer that their opposite sibling is with the other parent. In some cases, one parent is clearly at fault, or in other cases may be cruel or mean spirited. Children may not want to have a relationship with that parent, and would dread a family reunification.
Moreover, there is the question of individual nature. Often, children either idolize their parents, or secretly loath them. Some are neutral, analogous to what Scout would call "nominal" members.
Some children function best in a lenient environment, while others need a highly structured environment. Even in an intact family, children often shop between parents for the particular opinion they desire, which raises the question, "What is splinter surfing?"
So long as friends or
family members walk together, they generally grow in the same direction. Once that connection is broken, it opens the probability of growth in counter directions. These splinters have been functioning independently of one another, in some cases for decades, each claiming to be led by God's Spirit, yet growing in diverse, sometimes counter directions.
How do you resolve these issues when each believes they arrived at their present state of existence because that is where God led them?
I don't want to imply that God ever had anything to do with HWA, or the movement he started. However, if God did, it certainly appears from
biblical examples that God either pulled a "Tower of Babel" on Armstrongism, dividing and confusing their tongue (the loud voice of warning they once had), or a "Laodicia", spewing the splinters from His mouth as lukewarm and useless.
I don't see reunification happening. People would be better informed to look for the emergence of a new, break away super blessed group, not affiliated with Armstrong, not contaminated by the litany of bad baggage or utterly failed prophecy!
Agape? My mouth is agape when I ponder the blindness, arrogance and audacity of those men.
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