On being "Postmodern Bible-thumper" in the CGGC

Years ago, during the heyday Brian Miller's Emerging CGGC blog, I began participating in another discussion forum, a religion board where most participants are not Jesus followers. That board still functions. 

Recently, one of the old-timers there reminded me that, for a brief time, I posted under the name, "Postmodern Bible-thumper." That's what I did there: Thump the Bible. 

It's also what I did on the CGGC Blog. 

In those days, the CGGC approved its first ever Mission Statement, directly inspired by the three points John Winebrenner preached in his October 1830 sermon, on the day the Church of God was formed. 

Our first ever Mission Statement was:

As witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to make more and better disciples by establishing churches on the New Testament plan and proclaiming the Gospel around the world. 

In the early years, "the New Testament plan" was a way of life in the Church of God, and we were blessed. 

In 2010, the General Conference unanimously adopted that first Mission Statement. Sadly, we talked, but we didn't walk.

In our early years, the Church of God searched the Scriptures first, then acted. By design, our "Plan" was the New Testament. 

Today, in the CGGC, the church, not the Word, is our focus. 

Today, we devise humanly-imagined visions and strategies, then, we supplement them with verses and passages from the Word.

Today, the CGGC is in decline. 

The men and women who make decisions that determine what the CGGC will be, and do, in the future met, recently, to "Reimagine."

It's time to Reimagine ourselves as people who focus, first, on the Word, as people who are willing, as God said to Jeremiah, "to uproot and tear down, and to destroy and overthrow" everything about us not of the Word and, "to build and to plant" (1:10) a people who, once again, "search the Scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11) to know what is true. 

Forget Reimagining. We don't need to rethink our own thoughts. 

It's time to thump His Word. And, to hit it hard.

We must repent. (Mt. 4:17)

On being "Adorable"

While we were on our Snowbird Sojourn from late December through early April, Evie needed to buy a really good pair of sneakers.

She googled, "footwear." She found a store with a 4.9 (out of 5, not 10) customer rating and we drove there. The store deserved its rating. We were attended there by a very competent 40Something woman who set Evie up with shoes, inserts and socks.

The woman who took care of us was very patient. She invested more than a half hour with us. She answered our questions about shoes and herself and her family, in the way someone who's good at customer service does.

As we were finishing up, we were talking about personal stuff: spouse, children, hometown, etc. 

She asked, "How long have you two been married?" We told her. Then, she smiled and knifed me in the heart.  

"You're adorable."

She meant well.

"Adorable" is an adjective that fits two groups of people: Children younger than three and,...

...very, very old people. 

On this blog, I, frequently, refer to myself as a geezer. 

It's one thing for me to say I'm a geezer. It's quite another for someone else even to think it.

Twelve years ago, Evie was having chemo treatments. She shaved her hair before the treatments started. She didn't want to wake up in the morning with clumps of hair on her pillow. To support her, I shaved mine, too. And, I've continued to shave it.

The shaved head was sort of a lark back in the day. If you thought I was old, the joke was on you.

That was twelve years ago. Now I realize I am old. 

But, please, not "adorable." I can't be that old!

If you know me only from this blog, you may dismiss me as a Grumpy Old Man. 

If so, understand. We now have it from an unbiased, independent observer: 

I am adorable.

When you read the words, "We must repent," here, remember. Those words come from a man who is adorable,...not a crotchety, grumpy, old man.

We must repent. 

A Word on next week's General Conference sessions

I haven't blogged for a long time.

In the past, I've used this blog to speak as a prophet. For the times I have neglected that calling in recent months, I know that I need the Lord's forgiveness for my silence. 

Months ago, I read, in the eNews, that the theme of the 2022 General Conference gathering will be "Reimagine." When I read that, immediately, the prophet in me woke up. 

I don't feel prophety as often these days as I have at some times in the past, but, on this issue, my prophetic voice instantly came alive. 

Over the years, I've learned to listen to the Spirit before I speak as a prophet. 

As a result, part of my delay in transmitting this word is my understanding that, to be faithful to the Spirit, I need to be careful to get it right.

I could have written this long ago. Other issues, some of a spiritual nature, are involved in my delay. So, I ask for the Lord's forgiveness and apologize to you, my brothers and sisters. 

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Next week, the delegates of the General Conference will gather. Their theme? 

Reimagine 

My friends, the notion that the CGGC can reimagine its way back into God's blessing, very simply, turns the message of the Bible upside down. 

Back in our best days, the Church of God men and women, who walked in God's dynamic blessing, were committed to operating on what they called, "the New Testament plan."

Understand: There was no time, in the New Testament, when believers reimagined themselves back into God's blessing after they'd lost their way. 

Reimagining is human-focused.

The Book of Acts says little about what disciples did in the days after the ascension, but what it says is instructive.

Acts 1:14 says, very simply, "they were devoting themselves to prayer." And, they were together with each other (Acts 2:1).

Their focus was on God, and being together to focus on God. 

In 2022, the CGGC is in decline, no matter how you choose to define it.

These days, we struggle with decreasing numbers, shrinking income and aging congregations. 

Nearly 200 years ago, God's blessing was so astounding that our people struggled to keep up with what the Spirit was doing.

Revelation, the last Book of the New Testament, makes it clear that the Lord does not bless His people when they stop walking in the Spirit.

In Revelation 2, Jesus tells the fallen church in Ephesus, "...you have lost your first love," and, then, "...if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."

To the church in Pergamum, Jesus actually threatens some in that church if they don't repent. He says He will "war against them." 

To the lukewarm in Laodicea, Jesus warns, "I know your deeds"..."I will spit you out of my mouth."

In this, actually, there is comfort. True enough. The Lord of all authority and power and blessing is not blessing us.

But, we, in the CGGC, are not the first. 

It's true. His love endures forever. 

His invitation in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me..." is always available. 

But, the Lord's solution for people, and for churches, who have lost His blessing is not to look within ourselves. 

Our solution can't be found in our own imaginings.

Over and over, God's word to individuals, and to churches, is, simply, "Repent."

To be redeemed, we must focus on Him and walk in His ways.

We must repent. 

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One other word from the Lord: At this moment, we are not in the spiritual condition that makes repentance possible. 

We are content. 

The Beatitudes begin, "Blessed are the poor in spirit,...Blessed are those who mourn."

When Jesus invites us and says, "Come to me," His invitation is restricted to, "all you who labor and are heavy laden."

After they repented, Paul explained to the once-fallen church in Corinth: "...godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation." (2 Cor. 7:10)

I'm still in contact with a handful of CGGC people. I read the eNews as faithfully as anyone. My sense is that we're concerned about our decline, yet, we're as lighthearted as we've ever been. 

When I look across the universe of my CGGC acquaintances, I don't sense poor in spirit. I don't see people mourning. I don't see people who labor and are heavy laden. I don't see godly grief producing the repentance that leads to salvation. 

People who are poor in spirit and overwhelmed by godly grief wouldn't, for a moment, think that, by their own reimagining, they can accomplish anything for the Kingdom of God. 

Our answer? Repent. 

I know that our brothers and sisters who planned General Conference sessions, and conceived this time of reimagining are sincere. They only hope for the best...

...but, this will come to nothing. 

We must repent.