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writing for godot

Too many chefs too little stew

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Written by Bishop Andrew Gentry   
Thursday, 29 December 2011 08:35
The other day I happened to see my Mom's church calendar and I was very surprised. It was labeled "Advent 2011" which totally flabbergasted me. When I was growing up many many years ago for a Baptist church to have used the term Advent would have been considered treason! In fact when I was a little boy my Mom's church had a Christmas eve candlelight Communion service and this caused so much controversy that no such service was held for the next oh forty or fifty years! I can remember a sermon when I was teenager where the preacher was almost foaming at the mouth as he preached on the Knox and had he has "saved" Scotland from the antichrist of Roman Catholicism! So we have indeed made progress. Oh by the by said preacher forgot to mention how cruel and dreadful a man old Johnnie Knox was which seemed to be an almost universal characteristic of the religious leaders of the day!
But with progress comes regress. Since the invention of the internet and the develop of programmes for it there has been an explosion of groups and associations, cults, and machinations! I am reminded so much of the words of Jesus when he says that they who do not gather with Him scatters! What a scattering is happening. Again when I was growing up it was not uncommon to see a plethora of congregations with the same denominational name and everyone assumed that some kind of falling out had occurred and the results was all of these like named churches. But that phenomena is pale by comparison with today's explosion of web sites and groups and pages. Now there are so many "chefs" that are not producing "stew" it is hard to find nourishment for the soul.

You can often find a common theme for the "founding" of so many flies in the ointment. There is a large percentage of gay churches even a few decidedly lesbian "churches" that are separate from the gay ones. There are a number of "churches" that are right wing nut cases wrapped in the flag. There are numerous theosophical and Gnostic ones and a smattering of Earth Religions thrown in for good measure.

What is truly sad is that when you claim sexuality as a reason for a church or a particular ideology for one you are no different than the so called mainline institutions that may have told you in a myriad of ways to leave. Unless all are welcome equally there is no community and if there is no community the Spirit cannot be Present and without the Spirit your worship is dead.



There has always been "paper churches" now there are "web churches" and even a few folkes honest enough to call themselves "virtual churches". I am not sure if the web is any different really than the paper ones. But here is a hint and clue and a tool. If these whatever named sites have more clergy than people be highly suspicious of them. If they make false claims by citing some kind of papal epistle which in reality does not specifically refer to them about their "validity" be leery. If they claim any connection with Herman or Martha Spruitt or with the so called and self named "Independent Sacramental Movement" that is a dead give away that they exist only on the web and that all the photos on their site are clip art, and lastly if you see a lot of fancy expensive miters and copes and Roman looking clergy wear that too is another warning to be on guard.



There are a lot of people sincerely looking for a fellowship and like little sheep exposed to danger the wolves can pick up the scent faster than wind can blow. Always do your research and disregard the silly and imperial titles that most of them have for such nonsense is no confirmation of authenticity usually the contrary!


Peace

Bishop Andrew Gerales Gentry
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