What if gentleness, goodness, meekness,
kindness and longsuffering was taught and displayed more than the unknowable
meanderings of prophecy?
What if the minister had a servant
personality instead of a Plantation Owner mentality?
What if "give as you are able," was all
one ever heard from the Pastor or the Church
Organization?
What if the lowest priority of a Church
was a building program?
What if you could look your Pastor in
the eye and tell him "that was the most far fetched view of
scripture I have ever heard?"
What if the Pastor laughed at himself
when he gave such sermons and was called out on it?
What if some of the membership really
had a more balanced view of scripture than the
minister?
What if it was not permitted for the
Pastor to use the words "soon," "in our lifetime," "gun lap," or "soon
coming...." in any sermon?
What if a member could tell the Pastor
he'd take his advice under advisement ?
What if you were able to make your own
decisions about living your life even though the Pastor felt the decisions he
makes in his life are more correct?
What if you messed up and had a Pastor
who could freely admit "I messed up too," and had a good laugh
together?
What if members gave up on the idea of
becoming "perfect or mature as God is perfect," and just did the best they could
under the circumstances?
What if it was ok to get to church or
the Festivals as best you could without fear of being a
slackard?
What if it didn't matter what Adam,
Abraham, David, Solomon, the Prophets, or any real or imagined character in the
Old Testament did or didn't do thousands of years
ago?
What if a COG Organization did not have
to spend so much energy and time trying to convince others they were the one
true Church?
What if numbers and statistics didn't
matter and were proof of nothing?
What if the leadership of Grace
Community International apologized for reckless theological games and
realized the damage and doubt brought to the minds of tens of thousands was more
than the sweetness brought to the hundreds left over.
What if "I am sincerely sorry for the
pain caused," and "I was wrong," were ok concepts for the minister to utter from
time to time.
What if advertisers of religious
perspectives did not have to scream in red print at you from the pages of the
Journal?
What if any minister who declared
himself a Prophet, Apostle, Watcher or Witness , out of the blue and without due
process and proof was bounced out on his ass or asked to get some
counseling?
What if a member could freely sit
through a sermon and be ok with telling themselves this particular sermon is
boring, crazy, weird or egocentric and probably not true as
presented.
What if a member could utter the words,
"Please don't tell me, us, my family, my wife, my kids what to do or how to
be."
What if you had a minister that said,
"I have come to see that things are not exactly as I always thought them to
be..."
What if you had a minister who
understood the background, context, origins, intent and story behind the
scriptures?
What if science was not "falsely so
called."
What if all the COGs could say, "Let's
face it, we have allowed some pretty weird personalities to tell us what to do
and how to be and perhaps have not understood the Bible as it was intended to be
understood."
What if everyone understood the Bible
is not inerrant or perfect and you really can't be 100% God and 100% Man in any
way anyone can imagine.
What if we all laughed at those who
sound and act like they understand the above concept evolved over hundreds of
years to plug the holes in other questions raised over
time.
What if the COGs understood the concept
you can never make a scripture mean what it never
meant.
What if pious conviction with marginal
information was not how a COG wanted to present it's
views?
What if you didn't "send it in," or
wouldn't "send it in" until or unless you were confident it would not be
misused, wasted or stashed away by the Pastor?
What if everyone roared with laughter
when the Pastor wanted to build another college or House for God knowing how big
the Universe is?
What if the words, "I was wrong,"
"I didn't know," "I have no background in that," "I see the
problem," "I know I tend to be...", "I have made (and list them)
mistakes in my life," "I am sorry...", "I apologize",
"What do you think we should do..?", "I don't know the answer to
that..."
What if perfect love actually cast out
fear and like Rodney King, we could all wonder why we can't get
along?
What if all the COGs never again
allowed ONE Minister, Pastor or Self Appointed human being to tell them how it
all is as if they really knew?
What if...
1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not
have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,
it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood
behind me. 12
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face
to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am
fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
...was really true in the COGs or on the planet?
Whew......now that's back on
track!
Amen.....