Insanity and Weakness are Everywhere ;( (from Germany)

1/19/2011

Went to one of the “vision days” meetings yesterday. How sad and pathetic. I had hoped, based on their letter, that there would be an open forum for people to share and discuss the answers to their very good questions, “How can we arrange ourselves that the people in our church can grow spiritually, experience healing, courage and self-esteem, as well as find their places in God’s Kingdom? What do we need to improve? What special offers can be helpful? What support is necessary?”.

We were put into small groups with different themes, and one person was designated to write down our answers to these themes on a big paper. The themes themselves were wonderful, like, “Church is supposed to be a place where you can open up, get help, be corrected, and where there are no cultural or age-based barriers.” But then they go on to say, “So, what programs can we install to make this happen?” and we were supposed to put our ideas. HOW PATHETIC! At the end, 99% of the suggestions—which were then gathered and posted on the walls—were nothing but programs, programs, programs. i was the only person who even suggested scriptures such as Hebrews 3:12-14! From maybe 50 people who showed up! When John 14-15 was mentioned as an answer to “How do we reach the city?” (They will know by our practical, daily love for one another) you get glazy-eyed affirmation followed directly by some absurd recommendation like—LITERALLY— “christian meditation in order to reach those ‘spiritual’ people who need something other than services, so they can see than we have it all”. One time i was grouped with one of the leaders and another person. We were to find a “solution” to age barriers. When Ephesians was mentioned, where we can pray not only for a revelation of Jesus but also to see the treasure in His People, and to treat people like we would Jesus, the “leader” retorted, “OK, but how can we make that into a program?” I said, “Unfortunately you can’t. It has to do with the heart.” He brushed it off and didn’t even write my suggestion down (although part of their ‘rule’ was to write everything down!).

So, at the end, everyone got 6 green and 3 red sticker dots to place next to the suggestions they think is “God’s plan for 2011”. The scriptures got no green dots. Church services and the like got a lot of green dots, but church service at 4pm got a lot of red dots! Eating together and talking about the “preached message” was shut down, because as one man loudly commented, “We already eat every other Sunday!”

You get the point. I remembered what Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again, and expect different results.” SOOO many marriages and people are falling apart their. I hope some will choose to have an ear to hear if Jesus opens doors…

From another note yesterday; Begin forwarded message:

Friday night they went to a “men’s” meeting at “the building”. They stuck him in an office by himself. A chunk of saturday, yet another program of course, they took them to “men’s breakfast” at 8am (table talk about a guy’s daughters who argued and fought him about makeup and black nail polish they want to wear). Sunday typical all day, back-to-back, religious meetings including the “rehearsal !!” for sunday night “testimonies & dunking” service. SO sad.

Mark said yesterday, “Remember the Malawi video clip—”Everybody stand up. Everybody sit down. Everybody give your money. Okay, go home we don’t need you anymore.” He said that’s exactly what they do!!!

He overheard someone yesterday say to a guy “I really like the ‘Linger Longer Sundays.’ I’d usually like to stay longer and visit with folks.” The guy said, “Yeah, those times are nice. Except for those Sunday’s where ‘they’ extend it to an hour, the pastors usually encourage folks to clear out about 30 minutes after the service.”

They have a “Linger Longer Sunday” once a month??!!!?! (WHAT UTTER UN-CHRISTIAN NONSENSE!) and the “pastors” push folks out the door when time’s up. WHAT??!! I don’t know which is more grieving—the guys who think up names and programs and justification for these things?? Or the folks who ALLOW themselves be herded because they really just love the world and their lives anyway! : ( If so, it’s just one more proof—not that anybody needs yet another—that it’s only ever for most who would tolerate such a so-called “church” just a social, warm fuzzy event anyway and never was about changing lives and enlarging Jesus in one another.

Mark came back hungry “I want something REAL!” THIS is what the Baptists and Vineyard are doing to my children—it neglects and starves and batters them… they need resuscitation. : (