Gerald Weston is back, regaling us once again on how SINFUL and REBELLIOUS some Living Church of God members are. It seems some LCG members skip church services and watch them at home online, or do something else more enjoyable. Remember, it is always more important to drag yourself untold miles through rain, snow, or soul-crushing traffic just to worship in a rented high school gym or its cafeteria that still smells like yesterday’s mystery meat, or a creaky Masonic/Odd Fellows Hall haunted by the ghosts of 1950s bingo nights. How dare these ingrates tire of the same pre-packaged, formaldehyde-preserved sermons that get exhumed and paraded around every other year like a bad holy day potluck casserole? God forbid a minister stray even an inch from the official approved prepackaged booklet/telecast script—after all, actual original thought might cause the entire fragile ecosystem to collapse. Fresh ideas? Innovative topics? Perish the thought. The pinnacle of excitement is hearing someone mumble, “Hey, that wasn’t completely soul-destroying. Maybe next week won’t feel like a root canal.” Tragically, that never happens.
You shuffle in and are immediately “welcomed” by the elite squad of stealth attendance takers—those smiling hall monitors with clipboards who could give the Stasi lessons in subtle intimidation. Before your briefcase is even opened, you’re conscripted into the unpaid serf brigade: wrestling with wobbly folding chairs and tables, slaving over industrial coffee that tastes like regret, scrubbing bathrooms that see more action on Sabbath than any other day of the week, and performing whatever other menial miracles the deacons demand. Only then do you earn the privilege of enduring the musical portion—those dirge-like Dwight Armstrong hymns celebrating blessed men or soldiers marching off to glorious, bloody war. The opening prayer inevitably balloons into a pre-sermon sermonette, cleverly designed to soften you up for the real punishment ahead.
Then comes the main event: the two-hour (minimum) butt-numbing sermon, a relentless barrage of 40 bullet points on the topic with 4,000,000 cherry-picked Bible verses that you frantically scribble down like a possessed stenographer, all while your inner voice quietly admits you’ll never crack open those notes again. The topic is always a greatest hit you’ve suffered through hundreds of times—how to keep the law perfectly, or an exhaustive catalog of everything fun, normal, or remotely human you must never, ever do. Because clearly, the average COG member is a drooling moron who can’t be trusted to discern good from evil without constant, soul-crushing reminders that they’re lower than the dogs under the table, fighting over scraps—or perhaps mere earthworms, blind and writhing in the filth of their own inadequacy.
And let’s not forget the other beloved COG traditions. There’s the annual Feast of Tabernacles “vacation” where you’re guilted into driving/flying to some overpriced resort in the middle of nowhere, only to sit through eight straight days of the exact same recycled messages while being pressured to “give offerings” that mysteriously fund the minister’s upgraded hotel suite. Or the charming post-service potlucks where the real sermon is delivered via passive-aggressive gossip: “Did you hear Sister So-and-So only tithed two percent last month? Laodicean to the core.” Then there are the holy day services that stretch into eternity, complete with the special music from that one painfully off-key lady who’s been “practicing” since 1987, and the endless parade of announcements about upcoming “youth Bible studies” that somehow always circle back to obedience, tithing, and not dating “worldly” people.
Two and a half hours later, your posterior has achieved total numbness and appears to have permanently bonded with the metal chair in unholy matrimony. Finally, deliverance arrives in the closing prayer, where you’re commanded to “inculcate” every magnificent pearl of wisdom you’ve just endured so you can stay pure and remain a true Church of God member—unlike those disgusting Laodicean riff-raff down the road in the other splinter group who have the audacity to meet in their own building like actual functional adults.
Weston, still whining about COVID, claims some members no longer see the need to show up each week and prefer to watch at home or—God forbid—NOT attend church at all! Oh, the humanity!!!!!!!
You shuffle in and are immediately “welcomed” by the elite squad of stealth attendance takers—those smiling hall monitors with clipboards who could give the Stasi lessons in subtle intimidation. Before your briefcase is even opened, you’re conscripted into the unpaid serf brigade: wrestling with wobbly folding chairs and tables, slaving over industrial coffee that tastes like regret, scrubbing bathrooms that see more action on Sabbath than any other day of the week, and performing whatever other menial miracles the deacons demand. Only then do you earn the privilege of enduring the musical portion—those dirge-like Dwight Armstrong hymns celebrating blessed men or soldiers marching off to glorious, bloody war. The opening prayer inevitably balloons into a pre-sermon sermonette, cleverly designed to soften you up for the real punishment ahead.
Then comes the main event: the two-hour (minimum) butt-numbing sermon, a relentless barrage of 40 bullet points on the topic with 4,000,000 cherry-picked Bible verses that you frantically scribble down like a possessed stenographer, all while your inner voice quietly admits you’ll never crack open those notes again. The topic is always a greatest hit you’ve suffered through hundreds of times—how to keep the law perfectly, or an exhaustive catalog of everything fun, normal, or remotely human you must never, ever do. Because clearly, the average COG member is a drooling moron who can’t be trusted to discern good from evil without constant, soul-crushing reminders that they’re lower than the dogs under the table, fighting over scraps—or perhaps mere earthworms, blind and writhing in the filth of their own inadequacy.
And let’s not forget the other beloved COG traditions. There’s the annual Feast of Tabernacles “vacation” where you’re guilted into driving/flying to some overpriced resort in the middle of nowhere, only to sit through eight straight days of the exact same recycled messages while being pressured to “give offerings” that mysteriously fund the minister’s upgraded hotel suite. Or the charming post-service potlucks where the real sermon is delivered via passive-aggressive gossip: “Did you hear Sister So-and-So only tithed two percent last month? Laodicean to the core.” Then there are the holy day services that stretch into eternity, complete with the special music from that one painfully off-key lady who’s been “practicing” since 1987, and the endless parade of announcements about upcoming “youth Bible studies” that somehow always circle back to obedience, tithing, and not dating “worldly” people.
Two and a half hours later, your posterior has achieved total numbness and appears to have permanently bonded with the metal chair in unholy matrimony. Finally, deliverance arrives in the closing prayer, where you’re commanded to “inculcate” every magnificent pearl of wisdom you’ve just endured so you can stay pure and remain a true Church of God member—unlike those disgusting Laodicean riff-raff down the road in the other splinter group who have the audacity to meet in their own building like actual functional adults.
Weston, still whining about COVID, claims some members no longer see the need to show up each week and prefer to watch at home or—God forbid—NOT attend church at all! Oh, the humanity!!!!!!!
The “once saved, always saved” doctrine of mainstream Christianity is easily disproved (Hebrews 6:4–6; 10:26–31). Therefore, we are told, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (v. 23). Note that this warning is in the context of those who forsake assembling together: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (vv. 24–25). The overwhelming majority of us came out of COVID-19 assembling as we always did, but a few have failed to return to their previous pattern of regular Sabbath attendance, thinking they can sit at home and take part online—or, worse, not at all!
23 comments:
Poor Paul....couldn't go anywhere for 2 years (Acts 28)........Spirit Airlines just wasn't available to fly him to the feasts in Jerusalem.........
Considering the number of bad sermons we have had in our church area, we do not go all the time anymore. So, I must be one of the ones he is upset about. We got tired of constantly being told we were always doing something wrong, so we chose to enjoy the time with our family doing things like hiking, visiting museums, the zoo, and other pleasant experiences. It is amazing how much more restful and enjoyable the day is for everyone. No stress getting everyone dressed and out the door on time, driving 57 miles, and then listening to gossip before services and being berated during the sermons. It was tiresome and frankly boring.
A recent report found U.S. church attendance (overall) is increasing for the first time in decades.
If that's not happening in LCG, why not?
Interesting R.L. @ 1:30:44. I had read similar things also. And that more youth are attending church now than before. But not in Armstrongism lol. The arrogance of the Weston letter is an eye opener. As an above commentator said they have more rest by not attending than at the actual service. A toxic environment best to avoid is the Armstrong movement. Cheers.
Maybe people want to save money instead dealing with the high gas prices, thanks to "our blessed sea gates" or whatever. Instead of driving an hour to and fro to deal with a negative attitude of a minister and the end is near message, perhaps it's visiting a local park, lake, or library or help people at a food bank. Attitude is everything Gerald.
At least the "prophets" in the living church of god are not within babylonian captivity like Daniel and Ezekiel where they weren't able to attend weekly sabbath services, ya know. Count your blessings minis.....
The U.S. and certain states are considering waiving part of their income, i.e. the gasoline tax, to give working people some badly needed relief from the high price of gasoline. Perhaps if Gerald invoked the binding and loosing primacy they believe they inherited from St. Peter, and waived part of the church income, i.e. tithes, then members could afford to attend church every week once again! Or, if someone skipped services for a couple sabbaths, and he asked them if they needed 3rd tithe assistance for gas, the problem would go away.
Nah! He's more like Pharaoh who made the Israelites gather their own materials to make the bricks and still maintain the same pace of construction.
Maybe they can take some of the third tithe money (that members have to pay, SMH), and give it to members who are struggling with finances or gas money for those who are struggling. Just trying to help.
Acts 11:29-30 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
Young people may look elsewhere, and not within Armstorngism. See other groups may cater to young adults more, instead of their paradigm. Reducing the subscriptions and all that, sounds like LCG wants to reduce.
"..not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,.."
Gerald is being deceitful by ignoring context. The above quote was directed at a specific congregation in history. If it was a universal law, there would not be a line of reasoning such as "and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works." Laws need no explanation, they simply are. Rather attending services is an application of the law, and as in all applications, there are underlying assumptions. If church attendance is corrosive, members are within their moral right to not attend.
These people are all in their own little hopeless bubble anyway. One of the most poignant tales I ever read was about a conversation that had taken place years ago at one of the AC reunions. The organizers made it "come one, come all" as opposed to having excluded people who had "fallen away". Some old friends were sitting at one of the tables reminiscing about their time in the cult, when another classmate walked up in the middle, having heard only part of the conversation, and said, "Wow! You guys actually joined a cult???'" It hadn't occurred to her that they were speaking of the WCG. No clue!
I wonder if all of rhe "leaders" realize that in so many of the old timers' minds, they are only place holders for HWA, and the men he originally trained. Perhaps this is why some act out, doing so many harsh and gauche things. it is only human to attempt to establish a unique identity, to gain notice, and to stamp the organization with one's own vision. The churches which practice "in your face authority", like PCG and RCG are maintaining an undeniable presence in their members' lives. They are like a Siamese cat, a breed which refuses to be ignored by its human companions.
Why The (Barely) Living Church of Rod Is Under A Double Curse
Herbert W. Armstrong taught in his Worldwide Church of God that the “true purpose” and the “very purpose” of the church was to carry out the Great Commission to preach the gospel (meaning “good news”) of the soon-coming (as HWA might add) kingdom of God. It was the gospel OF Jesus, not the gospel ABOUT Jesus.
The (barely) Living Church of Rod splinter group tried to compete against HWA and outdo him by coming up with a two-fold or hybrid gospel message by combining HWA's teaching about what the gospel is with some Protestant church teaching about what the gospel is. Rod said that the Protestants are missing half of the gospel. People who made the mistake of listening to Rod now like to talk about HWA's half a gospel message. One of Rod's guys said in a sermon, “I do believe in the gospel of the kingdom of God, the gospel that Jesus came to die for our sins.”
It looks like LCG leaders and members will be under the apostle Paul's double curse in Galations 1:6-9 for perverting the gospel message.
After rejecting HWA as the one who had come in the spirit and power of Elijah to restore all things, Rod and his rebels wanted to put their own doctrinal stamp on their own little religion business. The (barely) Living Church of Rod came up with stuff like a two-fold or hybrid gospel message, the marriage supper being in heaven, and the falling away being something that happens out in the world (rather than in the WCG in the 1990s). Some people might think that Rod was still upset about HWA once exiling him to Hawaii for about eight months.
Well shucks Gerald, my wife and I stopped attending when one of your council of elders exalted a perverted old man (or two) that kept trying to have sex with anything that moved especially underage children and harangued people from the podium for policy violations.
8:44
Yes I always remember the saying, “It is better to be serving God in solitude than serving sin with a multitude” and sadly the majority of these ACOGs refuse to repent about so many false doctrines like 3 days/3 nights; triple tithing money; mandatory FOT “holiday”; laying on of hands is necessary to receive HS; BI theory that British throne is Davidic throne; HWA was an apostle and/or prophet; 3 resurrections; etc. I now feel like an outsider if I fellowship with various ACOG groups as I feel I’ve grown so much more spiritually by the grace of God by studying the various teachings of these ACOGs and finding a lot of it wanting so I tend to do Bible studies myself at home now or might share my learning on their YT videos if it’s of relevance to a subject they are teaching wrongly on etc.
As you write it appears youve accepted that Armstrong had the true gospel which sadly is not so
Correct 6:09.
And you are correct about the Holy Spirit, as some can get it BEFORE the laying on of hands, like Stephen did (Acts 6:5-6). And John the Baptist parents...
I too have out grown Armstrongism. But what I have done, and what many can do (who have left) is take the good from our experiences and leave the bad. There are some good points and things that I learned in an ACOG, but I can't remain in any of those groups. It's funny as I have written to some of them concerning my issues and now say take for instance the LCG has some recent sermon titles are like "spiritual blessings" or "our citizenship is in heaven" or "the promise of the Messiah." They haven't grown spiritually, because they remain too much in the old covenant mindset. Now they are trying to improve a little, but as long as you have a few of those false doctrines or doctrines that are out dated , you're going to stay behind spiritually.
Personally for me, I didn't see the hearts and minds of the people change like the NT says the Holy Spirit does. I encountered the same attitudes, disrespect, disposition as the peoples of the world, at work, and within the political world. If those attitudes don't change, you stay behind spiritually as well. This is why Christ started his gospel with the beatitudes.
Not only are most of the sermons boring, but sometimes, if you listen closely, they make no sense, which is especially surprising when the speaker is reading his sermon.
Should not be a given that the speaker has written his own speech.
"skip church services and watch them at home online" -- but if people stay at home to watch the service there are certain advantages: can sit in a soft comfortable seat, can go to the toilet as often as they like, can drink and eat what they want during the service, Or even just watch something else more inspiring or interesting.
With LCG I reckon most members are staying at home to enjoy those things, and of course on a Holy Day no need to make an offering (not that any offerings in the Bible were made with money).
Excellent points Avoura! Been doing that myself for years now as I care for my frail parents 24/7 and so while I might be tending to their needs (or my own like you said grabbing something to nibble on or drink or go to the toilet or look something up online etc) I might have the earphones on listening to a Sabbath sermon or live service. And if it’s a sermon on a subject that I have no interest in then I can cut it and find something else to listen to or read.
Driving in today's modern meth-head traffic is more labourious than work. Why smell all the pot smoke from the car ahead as it blows THC into your car's vents? Why take pains to gingerly dodge all the Johnny Knoxville antics performed on the interstate system?
What the devil is false about 3 days & 3 nights, 6:09?
Anonymous at 6:09 said, "false doctrines like 3 days/3 nights" -- would you care to explain? Which 3 days/3 nights?
Jesus said He would be in the tomb for 3 days and 3 nights. Just because HWA taught that does not make it wrong. The Bible is true, even if ministers are sometimes in error.
Jesus rose on the third day, meaning the third day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This video explains it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwT4gCEBK94.
Don't y'all's Jesus-with-the-heart-hanging-out churches also pass around a donations/collections/offerings woven wicker bowl basket around the pews to put some building repair or plumbing funds into?
Post a Comment