Thursday, April 24

spinning

I've been doing a little reading, a little news-watching, and a little research to see what I can learn about the Serious Things taking place in Texas in regard to sects, and the history of these sects. I'm not going to get more specific because I don't want to cause a major onslaught of G*ogle searches to land here for similar reasons.

I have questions - lots - that will probably never be uttered here, about this specific sect and about general church history. My heart is so heavy for the darkness that is in so many hearts. My arms ache to hold the precious children who are hurting and who are so, so lost.

And I must say, in my reading, I have become even more concerned about the label so many churches in our circles attach to their names. It's the same word that was intended to focus our doctrine on the "basics" of the faith, a word that many different religi*ns use to describe radical offshoots, a word that some independent churches in my particular circle of reference cling a little tightly to. Is this label worth the confusion it creates in the general populous? I would think not.

I can't help but wonder what these highly published recent happenings will mean for my family, my church, my community in the near future, or what impact the events will have on religi*s freedom in years to come. And I can't help but think "that word" is a blurry one, one for which we should try to substitute something clearer.

I am very thankful, beyond words for a fellowship of believers whose foundation is the unchanging, complete, revealed Word of God, and not the words and rulings of its leaders. I am even more thankful for the fact that because of Christ's death on the cross, I am able to approach Him boldly, that I have an advocate in Jesus. When my brain is spinning, when questions go unanswered, my soul can arise. My foundation is sure.

5 comments:

Shelldell said...

Your a good writer Jenny, and I've also been concern because I know that people do associate different churches with a sect. Ours even has had that attatchment by some. The Catholic's that I assoiciated with called us holy rollers, yet I've never seen this in our church and I've been going there since 1972. What I love about Bible Study Fellowship is you study God's word and it never changes. It great that you don't talk about this church or that church. You only study Gods word and God's word saids it all and the final authority. God tells us there will be counterfeit in the body of believers and we have to see their fruit.
It is good when believers stand up for the truth, speak the truth and live the truth.

Kelly Glupker said...

Well said, Jenny.

Leah (Parrish) Millan said...

My husband and I were just talking about this! Well put...

dan and cheryl forbes said...

The word you are avoiding had a very specific and concrete meaning when first applied 80 years ago, and was still meaningful within my memory--but ignorant media (applying the term to Muslims) and other word thieves have corrupted it. I like "Biblicist" (in part because it has a red line under it even as I type it)--so long as the foundational meaning is also transfered.

Stephens said...

I hear ya, sister. :-) I like the "Biblicist" word too. I have heard thrown around from people down the SC way the word "preservationists" too. Don't know what you think about that. I like your parent(s)' word better, I think. Anyway, the hymn you linked to is one of Kris's favorites--mine too. God is good!