When in August 2021 I, with tears, emailed our senior pastor to explain our family’s experience with the pandemic, how like many we were initially afraid but then soon learned why we didn’t need to be (but D, ivy, lower mortality than we had been told, etc, etc) and how the church’s reinstated mask mandate (we want to love our neighbors …
When in August 2021 I, with tears, emailed our senior pastor to explain our family’s experience with the pandemic, how like many we were initially afraid but then soon learned why we didn’t need to be (but D, ivy, lower mortality than we had been told, etc, etc) and how the church’s reinstated mask mandate (we want to love our neighbors and reduce burden on hospitals and honor the government) was preventing our joining in person church (we don’t wear masks), and also explained that masks and mandates were akin to the yellow star, quoting Vera Sharav,... how EXCITED our young son had been to get to go back to church after a year at home - even gathered his own offering that he had been holding onto for months - yet now, after just one Sunday back in person, we were facing TV church again.... when would it ever end?...... nothing. Not.one.thing.
The likeminded elder whom I had included on the email, just to be sure that the email was received and that the pastor knew it was being seen by not just him, replied saying that yes, it’s complicated and he would be happy to discuss nuances further. I think he was just being polite re the pastor... as I know he and his family disagreed emphatically with the masks. Anyway, I replied that the time for nuance was over.
But, never heard a single thing from the pastor. On our year-end giving statement letter, he scrawled how “sad” he was that he never replied, and he wanted to follow up that week. But again, never heard a whisper.
That church simultaneously was going increasingly woke, and we are no longer there. We appreciated certain aspects of the liturgy, and those we miss immensely. But not enough to sell short our souls.
Your story is repeated all over America, the insufficiency of fallen Western Christianity and its less than fallen churches. We too church On Line because there is nothing worthwhile locally. We are, unfortunately, too old now to take on forming up a truly theologically correct church with visible moral agency. Time has caught up with us as to diminishing health. But indeed, it is nice to know that this is a concern and that many young people with energy are picking up the baton. God cannot be defeated as long as people thirst for truth.
We have been thankful to have discovered a different nearby church that is very strongly biblical and conservative in its teaching. The sermons are rich feasts every week. The middle and high school youth group pastor discusses worldviews and current moral issues w the kids. The elementary kids are being taught from THE BIBLE itself rather than watching movies and “finding Jesus” in the movies. While there is a place for that, how about we first teach our kids the actual Bible?
We have been blessed.
It’s bittersweet because we truly experienced value in the interactive liturgy, the back and forth congregational prayers and readings, and the music was rich with meaning in the words. We miss all of that in the new place.
You seemed to have found as good as (mostly) can be had today. It's impressive to hear about a church which discusses world views, and applies Biblical Law and the teachings say of Proverbs to everyday life in the world. God Bless!
When in August 2021 I, with tears, emailed our senior pastor to explain our family’s experience with the pandemic, how like many we were initially afraid but then soon learned why we didn’t need to be (but D, ivy, lower mortality than we had been told, etc, etc) and how the church’s reinstated mask mandate (we want to love our neighbors and reduce burden on hospitals and honor the government) was preventing our joining in person church (we don’t wear masks), and also explained that masks and mandates were akin to the yellow star, quoting Vera Sharav,... how EXCITED our young son had been to get to go back to church after a year at home - even gathered his own offering that he had been holding onto for months - yet now, after just one Sunday back in person, we were facing TV church again.... when would it ever end?...... nothing. Not.one.thing.
The likeminded elder whom I had included on the email, just to be sure that the email was received and that the pastor knew it was being seen by not just him, replied saying that yes, it’s complicated and he would be happy to discuss nuances further. I think he was just being polite re the pastor... as I know he and his family disagreed emphatically with the masks. Anyway, I replied that the time for nuance was over.
But, never heard a single thing from the pastor. On our year-end giving statement letter, he scrawled how “sad” he was that he never replied, and he wanted to follow up that week. But again, never heard a whisper.
That church simultaneously was going increasingly woke, and we are no longer there. We appreciated certain aspects of the liturgy, and those we miss immensely. But not enough to sell short our souls.
Your story is repeated all over America, the insufficiency of fallen Western Christianity and its less than fallen churches. We too church On Line because there is nothing worthwhile locally. We are, unfortunately, too old now to take on forming up a truly theologically correct church with visible moral agency. Time has caught up with us as to diminishing health. But indeed, it is nice to know that this is a concern and that many young people with energy are picking up the baton. God cannot be defeated as long as people thirst for truth.
We have been thankful to have discovered a different nearby church that is very strongly biblical and conservative in its teaching. The sermons are rich feasts every week. The middle and high school youth group pastor discusses worldviews and current moral issues w the kids. The elementary kids are being taught from THE BIBLE itself rather than watching movies and “finding Jesus” in the movies. While there is a place for that, how about we first teach our kids the actual Bible?
We have been blessed.
It’s bittersweet because we truly experienced value in the interactive liturgy, the back and forth congregational prayers and readings, and the music was rich with meaning in the words. We miss all of that in the new place.
You seemed to have found as good as (mostly) can be had today. It's impressive to hear about a church which discusses world views, and applies Biblical Law and the teachings say of Proverbs to everyday life in the world. God Bless!