Was/Is worship an uplifting joyous experience in COG services?

Worship As An Uplifting and Joyful Experience 

As someone who came from a tradition that included a two-hour worship service which consisted of an hour plus sermon and a twenty to thirty-minute sermonette, I am struck by how differently worship is portrayed in the psalms. Although we did have congregational singing and special music, those parts of the service were often led by people of little or no musical talent (to be fair, there were some notable exceptions to this generalization). Also, the songs usually centered on a book of hymns composed by the founder's brother that often felt like we were singing the same thing over and over again. In short, worship services were mostly non-participatory and seemed formulaic in nature. Looking back, those services felt more like classroom lectures than a worship service and provided little in the way of spontaneity or joy.

What am I talking about? One only has to look at a few of the psalms to understand the point that I'm trying to make.

"Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates
    and blessed your children within your walls.
He sends peace across your nation
    and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.
He sends his orders to the world—
    how swiftly his word flies!
He sends the snow like white wool;
    he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.
He hurls the hail like stones.
    Who can stand against his freezing cold?
Then, at his command, it all melts.
    He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.
He has revealed his words to Jacob,
    his decrees and regulations to Israel.
He has not done this for any other nation;
    they do not know his regulations.
Praise the Lord!" --Psalm 147:12-20

Notice the imagery and poetry - the joy and thankfulness expressed by the psalmist!

"Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song.
Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.
O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
Praise his name with dancing,
    accompanied by tambourine and harp.
For the Lord delights in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them.
Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds." --Psalm 149:1-5

Notice the exuberance and the references to DANCING and the use of a variety of musical instruments!

"Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works;
    praise his unequaled greatness!
Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
    praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
    praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!" -- Psalm 150:1-6

Once again, the joyful praise, thankfulness, dancing, and a variety of instruments are evident.

Yes, the contrast is stark. When we compare the two, from which format do you think that you and God would derive the most satisfaction? Moreover, don't you find it just a tad bit interesting that this one is found in Scripture and the other format is not present there? 

Miller Jones

Servant leadership in the church?

Sometimes we have to have frank talks about church pastors. The following is not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings. It is for the purpose of helping Christians understand the role of pastors. 
 
AND… it’s to help pastors understand that – too many times – they can’t see themselves as they really are.

Recently, a pastor I know posted an article on Facebook that was filled with self-pity. This man had basically been run off by his congregation for being oppressive in his pastoring of that church. The brutal truth is that the brethren just didn’t want him anymore.

Apparently, he feels that church people expect too much from pastors. He claimed the following:

—Congregations feel the pastor must be perfect and can never make a mistake.
—Congregations expect a pastor to be available 24/7.
—Congregations expect a pastor to never get angry.
—Congregations expect the pastor to do all the work.
—Congregations expect the pastor to never miss church.
—Congregations expect the pastor to never take a vacation.
—Congregations expect the pastor to never get sick.
—Congregations expect the pastor to not drive a car that’s too nice.

He then quotes from I Thessalonians 5:12-13 which says: 

"Beloved Brothers, honor your leaders in the work of the Lord. They work hard among you and give them spiritual guidance. Have a lot of respect and of all heart show them love for the work they perform. And live in peace with each other."

In his post, he puts much emphasis on the pastor being THE LEADER.
And therein lies the problem. In his post, he never uses the word “servant”! He doesn’t understand that a pastor’s primary role is to be a SERVANT.

Oh, I’m sure he THINKS he is a servant. He thinks that his service is to be the boss – el jefe – the one who tells everyone how the church is to be run.
That is NOT the job of the pastor!

We must face the fact that the body of Christ is NOT divided into two classes: ministers and laypersons. That’s an outdated Catholic concept. Christians living in the year 2020 know better. Or at least, they should know better.

When this man laments that church members don’t give pastors the proper respect as LEADERS, he forgets what Jesus told His disciples in Luke 22:25-26: Jesus said, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”

Granted, there are congregations that do not sufficiently appreciate their pastors. But there are also pastors who look down on their congregations as people who are inferior – children who need to be disciplined.

Like it or not, we must admit that we have many men serving as pastors who are NOT qualified to be ministers!!

I hope that the abusive pastors who are out there can come to grips with the concept that: “Yes, you are a leader in the church. But you are not THE leader. AND… your first job is to be a servant. Leadership is secondary (and even tertiary) in your ministry.”

Thank you for sharing.

Wes White

Was HWA Planning on Putting Aaron Dean Over the Church?

Apparently, we are supposed to believe that Aaron Dean was to have been the true successor to the HWA's throne.

How can we honestly take Dean's word for it considering how he worked behind the scenes to help undermine the church in order to deceive members into leaving and then to join the United Church of God?

Has the church ever had an ethical man in a top leadership position who has ever told the truth?

Now upon HWA's death in 1986, we find that Satan seized control of the corporation housed in California, using men who had crept in unawares into the ministry. The Bible warns of this. 

Now this psuedo ministry published a story that Tkach was chosen and picked by HWA. This is not true!

According to Aaron Dean, Tkach became Pastor General by default! All of the men on the advisory council of elders had been put into the role of "deputy pastor general" for an evaluation period. Mr. Armstrong was examining each man, and letting God show him who HE wanted to succeed him. Like the prophet Samuel evaluating the sons of Jesse, he went one by one through the men gathered together. 

God showed HWA how each man was not His pick. Now Aaron Dean was the man evaluated before Tkach Sr. He said HWA wanted HIM! Now if HWA was casting lots, as done through Samuel the prophet, looking for God's pick, why would he want Aaron Dean unless Aaron Dean was God's pick? 

Now Aaron Dean claimed he "talked Mr. Armstrong out of making him pastor general".   

Now during Mr. Dean's evaluation period, HWA had a stroke that was kept private. This is from Aaron Dean himself. But HWA recovered.Now after Mr. Dean, HWA put Tkach Sr into the evaluation period! Therefore he was put into the role of deputy pastor general, which upon the death of the Pastor General, HWA, the deputy pastor general (Tkach)would by DEFAULT become Pastor General.  

Now according to Mr. Dean, HWA commissioned him to ASSIST the next leader of the Church.   

Now according to legal corporation papers, the advisory Council of Elders held legal power over the WORK (the California corporations) until 1991. In 1991 they signed full power over to Tkach sr. According to state records, and confirmed by Aaron Dean's testimony.  

In 1991, Rod Meridith and the ministers loyal to him (men of the Advisory Council of Elders) left and were fired from the WCG corporation. 

The created another corporation, to pay themselves a paycheck, and to lead a separate work.  

They started Global Church of God INC. That splintered into other groups including the LCG and RCG. Raymond McNair had incorporated a separate organization as well, but he shut it down, repented, saying that he was sinning against God by incorporating a new organization. He died shortly after, and i fully believe with his crown secured!Now other men from the ministry which was joined to Tkach, later rebelled and started a separate organization as well, and this was done to preserve payments to the ministry. This was admitted. The men who started UCG, waited until they received a bigger retirement check to fund their new UCG corporation, so they could pay their ministry. 

These ministers FIRST ensured their financial secuirty by creating a separate corporation! Then they drew members of the WCG congregations, into other congregations which supported a new organization. 

What happened to the WCG. Samuel Kitchen