Light and Dark

Often, joy is found in the most unlikely place and from someone you don't even know! Such is the case with "MR" who made comments to my last blog and yet I doubt he/she intended to bring joy my way. One reason for my joy is the comfirmation of the people like the one I was in the past still existing today. I have been asked by some if people like I have described myself still live around us and hold so firmly to the things I have discussed and all of a sudden a post appears acknowledging this reality. While I had another blog running through my mind for today, I would rather address the comments made just in case some who simply read the blog did not also follow the comments. The accusation is made against my un-Christian words and the apparent wish of my actions being more in line with Christian love. While it is often hard to read, I will have the comments by "MR" in italic and follow with a comment or two.

While looking at your bio I noticed you are a teacher, so I wanted to know where you teach. I did some internet research and found the website for Westbury Christian School. I noticed that the band director’s picture and name are the same as the person writing this blog. It states in your bio from the Westbury Christian School,“(Mr. Smith) worship(s) with the Church of Christ in Deer Park where he is the deacon charged with coordinating the singing for the church.”

If you wanted to know something about me, all you have to do is ask because, unlike the post you made, I have chosen not to work in darkness. I am who I am and have no fear to speak for the cause of Christ with my name. I love those of my church family and this includes those who believe along the same lines as myself and those who desire not to get updates to my blog.

I am so surprised that you are a leader in this church considering the extremism I’m reading in this blog. Are your church Elders aware of what you are writing?

To some, I am a leader, but leadership is not defined so easily by a term. To some I am a leader and will be a leader regardless of a title placed along side my name and yet I also recognize the path I lead through will not be followed by some. I was asked by the one man I consider to be my greatest mentor (who does not necessarily agree with what I say) why I sent out notification of my blog to everyone and it answers your question about whether my elders are aware of my writing. I explained how I did not want the things I was saying to be taken as gossip and hidden from all but those who have the same belief of these things as myself. The only ones unaware of my writings in the congregation are those without internet access or without a desire to read what I write. If there is extremism in my thinking, I also believe it would be easy to take the Word of God and show me the specifics of my error. I am most definitely extremely opposed to the will of man trumping God or inventing the will of God where none exists.

It sounds like you are working very hard to create division in this congregation (not denomination…churches of Christ are not denominations)! You have expounded about the lies and wickedness taught by others in the church.

The last thing I want from my denomination is more division and yes, we do not get the option of defining ourselves as you are still inclined to do because whenever a congregation takes on a name used by another group and has a similiar orthodoxy, they will be grouped together. It is too bad being the Church is just not good enough but men fight over the words of men and we have denominational lines drawn from non-acceptance and recognition of the work God performs in the lives of others. When you write your last sentence above, you make me believe you are from the organization I have now written two blogs to discuss, House to House, since your writing reflects the attitude and position I found evident on their website. Your response is also much like the replys members of my congregation have been getting when asking questions through the House to House website. Whether you represent only yourself or others in an organization is unknown, because, unlike myself, you have chosen to write/walk in darkness rather than light. If I have mentioned anyone teaching lies and wickedness in my own congregation, I hope they will tell me so that I can repent of such error! Having said this, however, I freely admit I still fight daily with the wickedness and lies attempting to consume me and believe every other member of my congregation have the same challenges as I/they attempt to bring lives into agreement with the will of Christ.

You speak of doing anything to spread the message of Christ without any permission or hindrance, yet as I read your blog, I read anger and bitterness in your words! You sound like you are working very hard to bring reproach upon the church of Christ in Deer Park.

I definitely do not believe I/we need any permission to spread the good news of Christ and the love of writing seems to be one of the gifts given to me to advance this news among others. My goal in my writing has been to show the transformation of my life (still taking place) in Christ from the formerly condemning nature of my fellowship to the rejuvenation taking place in so congregations of the churches of Christ across the country. I find it very difficult not to be bitter or angry as I realize how this has been part of my training I received in bible school for so long and yet I now realize this training was not done to purposely deceive me or anyone else. It was done because of a sickness, I call tradition, becoming the idol or focus of our worship. This disease, like cancer, was consuming my life and is still consuming those who have been attacked much longer than myself. As chemotherapy will often fight the cancer in a patient, the truth brought out into the open concerning the confession of my past life brings recognition to those, like our youth group who are actually matured into Christ free of our "traditional" disease! No, i desire not reproach to those suffering but rather the encouragement needed to lift the leadership of tomorrow who have already taken leadership today as they show us all what the reality of worshipping in spirit and truth.

You obviously don’t like the directional leadership of your Elders, so I must ask why you don’t just go to Grace Community church or Lakewood church, or get a group of your likeminded bloggers together and start a congregation of your own?

Are you calling for division? It sure sounds like it and yet I believe this is something a Christian should not encourage. If you do not know the elders in my congregation, I wish you did because they are some of the most godly men you will ever meet. I have the utmost respect and love for these men and yet I am not ignorant of the fact I would never be able to find a group of men to which I am in 100% agreement. Knowing these men, I believe their hearts to 100% pure in their desire to lead and shepherd the flock in Deer Park and I strongly believe God will use them, myself and others in the congregation for the good of His will. They are men, like myself, and will make mistakes in their walk but they are, without any doubt in my mind, everything we have describing what an elder should be given in the Bible and my goal is to work with them, using my gifts to the best of my abilities, as we all spread the good news of what Christ has done in our lives.

You speak of the mean things you have said in your early ignorance of accepting things that “man” has taught (not the Bible)…yet you supply more “man” words and links to more “man” words than to the actual inspired words of the Bible. How do you distinguish that these words of men you are now reading are truthful?

The answer to this question is really quite simple because all I have to do is check and see if the words written by man represent what is written in the Bible. The "man-words" of my youth took various passages of the Bible and linked them, with an UNAUTHORIZED hermeunetic known as CENI to create law for God. When someone says the use of instruments in worship is wrong or takes the "official" passages of scripture in Ephesians and Colossians to show the "approved" form of music in worship, basic word comprehension of what is written in the Bible shows the exact opposite. The history of my fellowship, whether I like it or not, is one where we pick and choose around those things God has left unsaid and then condemn another for not picking and choosing the same direction as the other. No, we don't allow each other to be non-denominational but rather require, through the threat of condemnation, all to be EXACTLY the same!

I realize that the Elders of the church of Christ in Deer Park can’t stop your right to free speech, but hopefully they’ve already removed you as a deacon. I went to the Deer Park church website and could not find a list of deacons.

Like all of our deacons, we meet with the elders each year to discuss the aspect of our ministry and to determine if we are still happy with our area of service. My elders know I am available to be used as they desire to encourage and lift others in our congregation. I love singing and the more traditional the approach to singing, the happier I am to continue. My challenge in this area has been what I used to consider "innovations" to singing which was destroying (my belief) the great singing of my youth. Some time in my future, the elders (possibly me) will find someone more passionate and more "on the ball" than myself to serve in this capacity. Until then, I simply will give my very best to making sure the singing at Deer Park will be the most effective to the congregation as is within my ability.

If the Elders haven’t taken strict action, then they must surely agree with what you have written.

This statement again makes me believe you are associated with House to House because it is consistent with their approach and the responses our membership have been getting from those responding for the organization. I would assume no such belief of my elders about agreeing with my writing but have (right or wrongly) assumed their decision not to address my writing with me has something to do with their level of spirituality and knowledge of Romans 14. I hope and pray they understand the level of esteem and respect I have for them in their chosen area of service.

"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." Romans 14:12-13 NIV

Yes, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God and though your words are like those of my past, I will not doubt the motive of your heart to bring me closer to God. Your words were an attempt by Satan to place a stumbling block in my way but God has allowed them to be a source of encouragement and the words of this blog have come easy this morning. I hope the words I have been led to write will help some who might not find the stumbling block so easy to step over.

I will be praying for your Elders, your family, your church family, your blog followers, and for you. I hope your actions speak more of Christian love than do your words!

I appreciate your offer of prayer and seek for God to work in all of our lives for His good purpose. I continue to work on my actions and my words so they will reflect the work Christ has done in me and will pray for continued guidance in my life. I also stopped writing long enough to pray for you and the sickness I feel is devouring the life and effectiveness you might have for Christ away from you in your life. I see my past in you and look for the freedom found in Christ to eventually have fullness in your life so we can work together for the cause of Christ instead of researching the identity of those who know Christ to discover the error we ALL have!