Happy 3rd Birthday TWW!

Posted on by March 19, 2012avatar

"The people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”  Matthew 4:16

Three Candle Flames in the Darkness

It is mind boggling that we have been blogging for three years!  We are so grateful for the wonderful friendships we have established in this forum.  It is you, our dear readers, who encourage us to keep pursuing God's truth by "dissecting Christian trends" four days a week!  Thank you for your fierce loyalty and invaluable input.  You are the reason this worldwide community on the web is so special!

On this occasion, we are featuring our very first blog post, which most of you have never seen.  When we launched The Wartburg Watch, we had glimpsed some of the problems plaguing Christendom, but we had no idea how pervasive they are.   We will continue to shine the light on those things we believe need to be exposed.  

 

Who Hijacked My Church

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Are you sitting in your church thinking that something is amiss? Do you think you are the only one who feels this way? Did you try to express your concerns to your pastor? Did he claim you are the only one who has come to him regarding this matter? Did he seem annoyed that you are questioning him? Did he make you feel like you had done something unbiblical by speaking with him?

Well, join the club! You are not alone. There are HUGE changes occurring in evangelical circles, and they are drawing national media attention. Time magazine just published an article on “The New Calvinism” in its March 23, 2009 issue. There are new websites and blogs written by average churchgoers who are very deeply troubled by these trends. A rise in authoritarianism and far reaching church discipline are having a detrimental impact on many congregations. When a little old lady is perp-walked out of her church for simply asking why the church she has attended for 50 years no longer has deacons, you can rest assured that something is terribly wrong in Christendom. We’ll link to the 911 call in an upcoming post.

This blog is dedicated to investigating these important faith trends. Hopefully, we will help to prepare you should these new strategies be implemented at your church. Our mission is to equip the priesthood of believers.

In the next week or so, we will elucidate a list of trends in the Christian world that we have noticed. Feel free to ask us questions or add your expertise to anything we may have overlooked. Please share this list with your Christian friends and family and ask them for their input. Once we have compiled our list, we will begin an in depth evaluation of each item.

Finally, if your pastor warns you not to read this or other blogs, tell him you are quite capable of making your own decisions. You see, they don’t trust you to use the brain your Creator has given you. Furthermore, they don’t believe the Holy Spirit can give you insight.

Today we will highlight two issues.

1. The rise of a new brand of Calvinism: This is not the Calvinism of your forefathers. This Calvinism is arrogant, often dismissive of others who do not share their extremely narrow view of Scripture. Frankly, it’s either their way or the highway! Unfortunately, this crowd may even question your salvation should you disagree with their excessively restrictive viewpoint. We’ll review the history of Calvinism and how today’s Reformed Movement is changing the face of evangelicalism.

2. The expansion of church discipline: There’s a new brand of church discipline being implemented across denominational lines. It’s not the kind of chastisement that should occur when a man leaves his wife for another woman and the elders pay him a visit. The discipline to which we refer can be used when you don’t show up at your newly mandatory small group Bible study or when you question why the pastor is building an expensive home. You might even get thrown out of your church after the pastor announces from the pulpit that you are no longer welcome. He may even call another pastor in town and tell him that you shouldn’t be allowed to join the new church because you are under “church discipline”.

We hope this whets your appetite, and we look forward to your thoughts and suggestions.

 

Here is a song dedication to you, our loyal readers, that expresses our sentiments.  Incredibly, the internet provides a way for us to come to you with hope and encouragement.  James Taylor has always been a favorite because of his close ties to North Carolina (Carolina in my Mind).  

God bless you!

Lydia's Corner:   Jeremiah 33:1-34:22   1 Timothy 4:1-16   Psalm 89:1-13   Proverbs 25:23-24

Comments

Happy 3rd Birthday TWW! — 111 Comments

  1. I just want to give a shout out to my MOM, who reads every post! Thanks for your prayers and support. I love you and dad so much!

  2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! May God continue to bless this ministry and all those involved.

  3. Who would have ever dreamed a couple of MBA’s from North Carolina would have as much influence in the 21st Century church! Congrats to two people Rachelle and I really admire!

  6. I appreciate your objectivity and honest appraisals. And just honesty in general.

    It’s fresh air.

  7. Dee and Deb, congrats on the three year anniversary of TWW! Thank you for your encouragement and friendship. Keep on blogging!

  9. Congratulations Dee & Deb!

    I’m sure your blog will continue to be a cool drink of water to weary pilgrims, sustenance to chew on, and a continuous source of useful information for the road ahead!

    TWW is a desert oasis!

  10. Even though its doctrine is not Calvinistic, the Wisconsin Lutheran Synod (WELS) church I attend also has a problem with authoritarian pastors and very limited roles for women, who cannot even vote. When I expressed my concerns to the pastor 4 years ago, he threated to “release me from membership” (kick me out). He also said that the reason other women in the church were not friendly to me was because I was a social failure.

    My church is near the university I attend. I am a graduate student with a limited income and parking on campus costs $800 a year. I was devastated by my pastor’s cruel comments, but I apologized to him and was able to retain my membership and parking permit. Since this incident, I have managed to stay out of trouble by avoiding extended conversations with my pastors and never asking questions. If they knew that I think the earth is much older than 6000 years or that I agree with gay marriage, I would be kicked out for sure.

    As my graduation date becomes closer and I am less worried about losing my parking permit, I have decided to take the huge risk of putting an Obama for President bumper sticker on my car. I may get into a lot of trouble for this, but I am tired of being afraid of church discipline.

  11. Teri – you might consider changing to the ELCA (or if that’s too drastic a switch, to a good LCMS church).

    I hear you on the issues within the WELS, although I have not encountered them personally, as I’m from the mid-Atlantic states and was raised in an LCA (now ELCA) church.

    Sounds like an ELCA church might be a good fit for you…

  12. To Dee and Deb and TWW – parabéns a você! (Happy b-day/congrats in Brazilian Portuguese.)

    Muitissimo obrigada for all that you do!!!

  13. Happy birthday from a reader from First Baptist Church, Clarksville, Arkansas! My beloved worship pastor of two years, who is like a son to me, is a 5-point Calvinist, so I need websites like this for balance! He doesn’t try to “convert” me (his word), but we did hire him from a Reformed Baptist church in another state, and I doubt if his theology was even discussed before his hiring.

    We are looking at hiring a new staff member who would possibly replace our current senior pastor when he retires. I have been adamant that I couldn’t vote for a Calvinist candidate who might steer us to becoming a Reformed Baptist church. Yet y’all have a very high regard for Wade Burleson. Sometime I’d like to hear more about that whole relationship, ok? I know you say he’s Reformed but not Calvinista, but should I not be concerned that a new pastor might teach TULIP doctrine, and especially limited atonement, from the pulpit?

    Just curious!

  14. Authoritarian churches have unwritten rules like never question the pastor or women must never show any initiative. Because no one will verbalize these rules, a person does not learn about them until they violate the rules and are punished for their transgression. My friend was slapped down hard when she suceeded in raising money for her mission trip to Thailand.

    It has taken me 6 years of detective work to gain some understanding of the unwritten rules of the WELS church. Before I understood these “rules”, I unwittingly violated them and was punished. ELCA and LCMS are indeed viable alternatives. But attending a new church means starting over again to learn their “rules” and I want to do more constructive things with my time. I also do not want to risk more punishment at a new church if I violate the “rules”. For the time being, I have decided to attend the WELS church monthly to maintain my parking permit.

  15. @ Teri –

    “For the time being, I have decided to attend the WELS church monthly to maintain my parking permit.”

    What a telling statement. So sad. I hope you are soon able to find a church home where the reason you attend is because you meet Jesus there every time you walk through the door.

  16. Thanks for all the wonderful comments!

    We look forward to what this year will bring as we tackle issues involving the Christian faith. I believe complementarian will be a BIGGIE!

    Please keep sharing your experiences of hyper-authoritarianism. They are shining the light in a very dark place.

  17. Kathy,

    You write, “Should I not be concerned that a new pastor might teach TULIP doctrine, and especially limited atonement, from the pulpit?”

    I think you are to be commended for calling your worship pastor a man who is “like a son,” even though you disagree with him theologically. In twenty years of ministry at Emmanuel Enid, I cannot think of one time I have even mentioned the word TULIP or systemetized TULIP from the pulpit. Having said that, I preach in a definite, substitutionary atonement because the Scripture teaches such. I do not call myself Reformed or a Calvinist because I don’t follow Reformed teaching regarding the Law or Calvin’s teaching regarding most things, but I do believe in a specific, effectual atonement. So, to answer your question, you have nothing to fear from a preacher who speaks highly of Christ’s atonement! Wishing you the best at FBC Clarksville!

  19. Wade,

    Thanks for responding to Kathy so promptly.

    It is such a joy to have you as part of the TWW family! Please give my love to your wife Rachelle. She is a dear sister in Christ.

    And finally, may God continue to bless your ministry at Emmanuel. You and your church family are such a blessing to us!

  20. Wade
    Back at ya! Actually, I look at the blogging world as a place that the average person with little money and influence can enter the marketplace of ideas. And, if said person has something worth saying, sometimes people will pick up on it. The Internet levels the playing field. For once, the priesthood of the believer can get some play. I encourage everyone who wants to say something to give blogging a shot.

  21. Alaska Anna
    I love blogging because it allows me to meet people like you. I still remember the pictures you sent me from your farm in Alaska. It made my winter, and I think of you often.

  22. Sallie
    How people can watch that video and think this is normal shows the appalling lack of Biblical understanding and human psychology that some people have. Thank you for your kind words.

  23. As an early and consistent reader, I must say that you have proved a theorem of mine: “Theology, as practiced by academically trained theologians and seminarians, is not the ‘study of God’, but the ‘study of human thinking about God’, as expressed in the writings of various other theologians.”

    You two are lay theologians, gifted with skepticism regarding what “name” people have had to say. And you understand how the theology of the church has been manipulated to accomplish a polity that empowers the pastors and dis-empowers (emasculates?) the laity. That suggests a corrective, but I won’t go further on that front.

  24. TomR
    You were one of our first friends. I still remember calling you for the first time. I was so afraid that you would think I was a nut since our blog was new and nobody had heard of it. I remember being incensed over your trials with FBC Jax. I was so mad I wrote the post “Subpoena This Blog!” I was ready to go to war. Still am. Love you and Yvette!

  25. Eagle
    If we ever lead a church, you will be appointed the first ever “Baloney” elder whose job it is to keep it real!

  26. René
    Thank you for reading. This blog is all about our readers.You are the reason I pray at night and think about you all.

  28. Teri
    Your pastor said that?? Does he read his Bible? I remember, years ago, attending a meeting of a group of local Republicans. They were criticizing a fellow Republican for not being a Christian (gossip fest). I remember being shocked. I spoke out and said that politics has little to do with the faith and that our meeting was not another Bible study. That should take place in churches (or homes) not at a local political gathering. They disagreed with me. At that moment I knew that politics, although interesting, was not where I wanted to be.

    My church currently has people on all ends of the political spectrum; yet we all worship together, believing the same things about what it means to be a Christian.I cannot imagine “disciplining” someone over some political differences. In fact, the only discipline spelled out in the Bible was some guy sleeping with a family member and flaunting it. Suddenly it morphs to being applied for simply asking questions or believing in an ancient earth.

    This is not faith, it is a dogma. There is a reason the “nones” are on the rise.

  30. To be able to comment on the very first blog post made on this website is wonderful symbolism for me. Thank God that I have been led to you for the first time this past week; when people ask me why I’m not a member of a church at the moment, even though I’m a devout believer, the first thing I often find myself contemplating is that too many churches are more “country club” than “hospital.”

    And if the first three years are any indication of the need for healing churches, y’all will be seeding a whole bunch of new ones soon! 🙂 Thank you for all you do, lots of love to you, and looking forward to exploring all past blog posts and sermons, and growing in the faith, and wherever that leads….

  31. Kathy
    That one is easy. Take a look at Wade Burleson’s history, which is evident on his blog and in his book Hardball Religion. Look at his stance on women. Evaluate how he has spoken against ESS. Then see how he has taken on some issues in the IMB. Read how he handled a church controversy involving some people who disagreed with his leadership. See how he has people who disagree with him on secondary issues teaching Sunday school classes.

    Wade has consistently taken stands on secondary issues that would put him at odds with a number of the Calvinistas. He is his own man.

    One of my dear friends with whom I eat lunch almost every Sunday is Reformed. Yet, he respects my point of view and gets really irritated at the Calvinistas.

    I would suggest you scan Wade’s blog and use that as an assessment tool for your new pastor.

  32. doubtful

    We plan to run with your post on Wednesday. I look forward to it. It will challenge a few assumptions and I really like to do that. Glad you are a part of our gathering.

  33. Trish
    I noticed that you had signed up for twitter. You might be interested to know that I am very involved with a local Christian Medical Dental Fellowship and recently started a blog for them. To anyone reading this who is getting any ideas, that blog is NOT a debate blog. It exists for the support of Christians in the medical/dental profession.
    Trish, if you are interested, I will send you a link. I got an idea from how you signed up for Twitter that made me think this is something you would be interested in. Just contact me at dee@thewartburgwatch.com and I will fill you in.

  34. Eagle,

    That’s funny! I especially like the last part!

    Sadly, the Blue Devils choked in the first round. Tell you dad I’m really sorry. 🙁

    Alas, we have two N.C. colleges in the SWEET SIXTEEN! My older daughter graduated from UNC last May and my younger daughter attends NCSU. Yes, we are a house divided – an apt description of one household represented by more than one college team.

  35. TrishW,

    Welcome to TWW! We are so glad you’re here.

    For those of you like Trish who are new, I would love to know how you found us. Were you Googling a certain topic or did you click on a link posted on another blog? I would find that especially fun to know. 😛 Thanks!

  36. Happy Birthday TWW, from the south of England. Thank you for being a great discussion board and a place to flex my Christian thoughts. Thanks especially for the information on disturbing church trends – I’m interested in the state of Christ’s body and am glad to be aware of the growing abuses. Yet at the same time, I’m also glad to be aware that many people are waking up to these abuses and walking away from them.

    Even though the UK church is not having a problem with unGodly sects (New Calvinism, Patriarchy, Dominionism etc) I’m still passionate about learning. A problem with the church is still a problem even if it’s thousands of miles away.

  37. Eagle
    Now, we force the people to tithe and then we take a cut on the tithe (10%) to fund our vacations conferences in places like St. Johns (hey-doesn’t Twinkle Toes have a church there)? We could write it off as well.

  38. Dee,
    Four years ago, I was thinking of leaving the church because I was tired of being treated rudely. The women would look through me and interupt me if they wanted to talk to someone I was talking with. They would say “I know who you are” when I tried to introduce myself and became impatient when I asked their name.

    I confided in a friend that I was thinking of leaving and her husband overheard. To avoid a confrontation, I enjoined both of them to not tell the pastor. But my friend’s husband told the pastor anyway and the pastor called me on my cell phone. I was at work when I received the call.

    Yes, the pastor really made that comment on my social skills. His exact words were “You have never suceeded socially anwhere else, so you cannot blame the church. You need to accept responsibility for your problems”. Earlier I had made the mistake of telling him I had social anxiety. I was later diagnosed with PTSD which was caused by an abusive childhood and abusive marriage. He also said that “we should release you from membership because you do not agree about the roles of women”. Because of my need for a parking permit, I controled my anger, apologized and managed to persuade him not to release me (kick me out).

    Having any kind of mental health issue, no matter how minor, is not usually acceptable in Christian circles and I felt the stigma strongly. After my bruising conversation with the pastor, I worked very hard to improve my social skills and overcome my PTSD so that I would become good enough to be accepted at church. I practiced greeting people, listening, making eye contact and engaging in small talk. My PTSD made all of these things difficult for me. Going to church felt like PTSD immersion therapy because parishioners treated me with the same indifference as my family did and were equally secretive with information.

    But I persisted because I wanted to overcome my PTSD so that I would be “acceptable”. My socially adept friend at church reassured me that I was making good progress with my social skills. But it was to no avail because parishioners continued to be rude to me. I finally realized that without a husband I would never be acceptable at church, no matter how good my social skills are. (I am a widow).

    Now I understand that in my striving to be accepted, I was replaying my efforts to be accepted by my family. This was unhealthy, so I made the decision to quit church. Only my need for a parking permit is stopping me from being a “none”.

  39. Dee,

    Don’t forget about hiding conference fees, travel expenses, lodging, etc. in the budget and then lambasting anyone who would dare to ask to see the financial statements!

  40. WOW! Thanks for Taylor’s cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend”! Any Carole King fans here? If memory serves me correctly Joni Mitchell sang backup harmony in the 1971 studio cut.

    Anyhoo, thanks again, happy B-day, and may TWW’s tribe increase!

  41. Dee says: (April 17, 2009 at 10:23 pm)

    Hi all,
    I thought you might like to read a blog entry on my site…

    …The name of my blog is The Wartburg Watch. Go to http://www.thewartburgwatch.com. click on the word blog at the top of the page. We are doing a look at lots of Christian issues…

    Blessings
    D
    http://sgmrefuge.com/2009/04/14/you-are-mine/

    Dee  & Deb,

    I remember the invite well!

    You’ve both have encouraged all of us to keep pursuing God’s truth by “dissecting Christian trends” also!

    …and we R’…

    …and for staying Mad as H£ll,… “we’re notz gona take anymore”!

    We Won’t Get Fooled Again!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WYq3iON8KQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

    Merci ! Vous êtes magnifique !

    Happy third!

    (grin)

    hahahhahahahaha

    Sopy ;~)
    ___
    Comic relief: Happy Feet – “Happy Birthday”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P90dKxlsUJo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
    Bonus: Paul McCartney – Birthday
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPYD0xD32bk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  43. Muff
    “Well, he went up to Saratoga and your horse naturally won. Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia to see a total eclipse of the sun.Well you’re where you should be all the time. And when you’re not you’re with Some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend, wife of a close friend
    You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You so vaaaaiiiiiinnn. ……..
    Muff, do NOT get me going on King!
    Thank you for being a friend. You help define that which is Wartburg.

  44. Sopy
    Did I really do that??? Oh good night, was I green. Glad people didn’t get mad at me. That was a few weeks into this little enterprise.I can’t believe you remember this. Sopy, you are amazing! Thank you for always being a good friend.

  45. Happy Birthday to TWW! Thank you Dee and Deb for keeping us up-to-date on the NONSENSE being promoted as necessity in the life of a believer. Many find refuge at this site and a place to speak without fear of retribution. I think walking and talking with Jesus during his life on earth would have been much the same 🙂

  46. Sophia
    Tell them you live “somewhere over the rainbow” and you are always on the look out for the wicked witch of the west. You are one brave woman (and did anyone ever tell you that you are wise???)

  48. Yeah, and then Sopy almost gets me goin’ on Pete Townshend’s guitar and songwriting moxie. Long overdue! Townshend is only now being recognised by those in elite circles who formerly snubbed him.

  51. Teri
    I am so sorry that you have been treated by a church and it’s pastor in such a manner. How hard that must be on top of an abusive childhood and marriage and also having survived the death of a spouse, even an abusive one. If you didn’t have pTSD, I would say you would be abnormal. In fact you are very normal.

    Why should the church care about social skills? Jesus spent His time with those who were outcasts. In fact, i think he enjoyed them a whole bunch more than the “socially adept” white washed tombs AKA Pharisees.In fact, it is my opinion that there are a fair number of arrogant, self-sighteous people who enjoy hanging around in churches in which they know, 100%, that they are right about everything.

    Jesus loves you and accepts you unlike many in the church who think that they represent Him. At least you are getting a parking permit out of this abuse.

    As for mental health issues, we have written on this and have plans to write more on the subject. There are a whole bunch of uneducated morons who inflict more pain on those who struggle with mental health issues.I am so sorry for what you have gone through. you are accepted here. Many who have commented on this blog, along with one of my close family members have struggled with mental illness. I admire you for the courage it takes to tell us. Have you been able to find a competent counselor? is there any way we can be of assistance? Please know that I will be praying for you.

  54. Bridget2
    I think that people find refuge here because I would have been one of the outcasts in the time of Jesus. I am sure the Pharisees would have hauled me up on a charge or two.!

  56. Veels geluk, Dames! (Afrikaans for ‘Congratulations, Ladies!’)
    Warm regards from Estelle in the Fairest Cape.

  58. Estelle
    Wow! That is the first time anyone has greeted me in Afrikaans. Thank you so much for caring!

  60. Thanks TWW for being here. Your posts helped us to avoid going from one bad group of franchises into another.

  61. Deb,

    HowDee,

    “How in the world did you find Dee’s comment?” You ask?

    No, I shall not make any of these really wild claims, but simply ‘see’ myself by that line of duty which God has marked out for me, and that line includes my work on your behalf.  I do not exceed my duty when I embrace your interests, for it was the dear-ness of the Gospel which has brought me into contact with you. My pride is not in matters beyond the proper sphere, nor in the labours of others. Nope, Nada, Zip! My hope is that your growing faith will mean the expansion of the sphere of our Dear Savior’s kingdom! His Father is making Our Savior’s enemies, a foot-stool for His very feet! In da meantime, Our Heavenly Father has sent His servants into the highways n’ byways…biding all who hear, to come dine with Him!

    Your helpin’   YaHoo!

    “When you have done it to “the least of these”…you have done it to me…” -Jesus

    The short skinny:  …It Was Due To A Close Encounters Of The Wartburg Kind!   – Snicker –

    hahahahahahaha!

    …”the least of these”, (Whaz fer supper?) I washed ma face n’ hands, I did!

    Sopy ;~)
    ___
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7ZhmBEn0A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  62. Dee and Deb,

    Congratulations!

    Many more birthdays to you!!

    A special song that holds special meaning for me, for you- as your birthday gift. This song reminds me of the unity we have…all believers…who call upon the name of the Lord. 🙂 Dwell on the love of Jesus as you watch.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSif77IVQdY

  63. Congratulations on your third birthday, Dee & Deb. Hope you have many more!

    Wanda, we love you so very much. You are a blessing to your Mom & Dad.

    May God continue to bless you and Dee.

  65. Dee,
    Thank you for your care and concern. You are very kind. I did not mention that at the same time I was putting up with the abuse at church to maintain my parking permit, I was also losing my vision because of an autoimmune disorder. My inability to see faces clearly added to my social discomfort. Two very high risk eye surgeries followed by 3 laser surgeries have suceeded in improving my vision to 20/20. The church was aware of my eye situation but unlike other parishioners who are members of the “in” group, I did not receive any cards or other support.

    Yes I have been seeing a therapist and am making a lot of progress recovering from PTSD. I began to feel even better after deciding to scale back my church attendance. I am also set to earn a PhD in the physical sciences, an uncommon accomplishment for someone over 50. I entered the master’s degree program at 46 and was accepted into the PhD program at 50. (I am now 54.)

  66. Heather
    We have not forgotten Facebook. Plan to do it soon.Thank you for caring about us. And I hope you continue to have warm weather. I hear it was 72 in Fargo!

  69. Happy Birthday Dee and Deb!

    I’m so happy to have found your blog and have been blessed by your posts!

    Thanks for the work you do!

  70. Diane and Deb
    This is an awesome, touching video. It must go on EChurch! This week! Thank you for caring Diane.

  73. Teri – I am so sorry that you’ve had to go through that with an authoritarian, fundy (yes, I said it) WELS church.

    Truthfully, I have not heard anything good about the WELS, but then, I know very little. (Being a PA German and having grown up in a mostly PA German Lutheran church.)

    Many, many congrats on your academic work – that’s quite an accomplishment! (I’m 55 and have no desire to go back to grad school, but that’s just me.)

    I can also relate to not wanting to go to church… long story, but I was in the evangelical/charismatic world for many years before getting booted from a church and slowly moving back toward my ELCA background.

    The LCMS (as you probably know) does not ordain women… but the ELCA is very much pro women in the ministry. A good ELCA church – when you’re ready – might be refreshing to you, but I don’t want to make you feel like I’m pushing for that, as I don’t attend anywhere at this point. (Though that might change…)

    You strike me as being very brave, and you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

    all the very best to you!
    numo

  74. Eagle,

    Looking forward to either the Tarheels or Wolfpack stomping on your Alma Mater! Just kidding. I’ll be happy if they both make it to the Elite Eight. 🙂

  75. I am surrounded by Baylor alums — brother and sister-in-law, niece, daughter, spouse, son-in-law, etc. So we root for Baylor Bears, especially the “lady” Bears (hate the term, love the team).

    And I have another team that is a 1 seed, where I spent 8 years and got three degrees. Could be a real conflict situation, much like a few years back when the two women’s teams met in the championship game.

  76. Happy Birthday, and may our Lord continue to enlarge your boundaries as you tell His truth

    It’s a bit tricky to give a blog a birthday present, so this is the best I could do. It’s dated October 2008

    A prayer for all churches in need ..

    The wolves have come upon Your flock O Lord.
    They have come down in horrid, ravening spite.
    The wolves have come with howls that chill the blood.
    They come with burning eyes in bitter night.

    These wolves, these children of the Pharisees,
    Bearers of blight, and instruments of death
    (Which they call life). Their heat that chills our bones
    Is borne towards us by their every breath.

    The shepherdly who strutted in the sun
    And stroked their staves, and organised the sheep,
    Have all gone fleeing to a safer place
    Fled helter-skelter, tumbled in a heap.

    The sheep who know, they crouch with frightened eyes,
    And softly moan, immobilised with fear.
    The other sheep rest on, contentedly,
    Or vie for grass, and see no danger here.

    Arise O Lord, Great Shepherd of the sheep,
    Riven and ravened, stricken and restored
    Giver of Life, who gave Your life for us,
    You are our only help, our mighty Lord.

    Unless You keep us, Lord, we are not kept.
    Unless You hold us, into dust we fall.
    And would you see us perish into night,
    Your very own, for whom You gave Your all?

    Rather, O Christ, our hope and sure defence,
    You will uphold us in the midst of strife
    You will, yourself, deliver from the wolves
    And, fast in You, we find, not fear, but life.

  78. Happy 3rd birthday TWW! Thank you Dee and Deb for you support and encouragement. How appropriate that the exiles would step forward today. You are an inspiration to me and so many others.

    Sophia

  80. Lynne – brava!!!

    Beautiful. I love the contrast between “ravening” and “riven and ravened / stricken and restored.”

  81. Sophia
    You are one amazing woman! Can you believe that the current revelations? If the koolaid drinkers don’t get it after this, they are really sucked into the Driscoll vortex.

  82. Congratulations, ladies. Looking forward to many more three-year periods of excellent blogging. Who knows? Some may even be inspired to start their own blogs.

    @Eagle’s blogroll

    I betrayed my Crimson blood in an earlier thread; I read the blog from Alabama most of the time (though last week I checked in to the blog while on assignment for the ST in Pennsylvania Dutch Country).

    Sergius Martin-George

  83. Sergius
    Roll Tide! (And keep a sharp eye out for careening horse and buggies driven by drunk Amish teens.) Nascart, indeed!

  85. Thank you for all the encouragement. Unfortunately everything I wrote is true and not the least bit exagerrated.

    Aside from the fact that many people in my church are not nice, I think complementarism is a big factor in why I have not been accepted. When women have no voice of their own in a church, a woman’s status is determined by the status of her husband. If you do not have a high status husband, you have no status yourself. I am a widow, so I have no status at all at my church.

    Complementarism teaches that the only role a woman is allowed is that of a wife or mother. If a woman is not a wife or mother, she is “unacceptable”. A woman may have lost her entire family in a horrific fire or automobile accident. Her husband may be a soldier or policeman killed in the line of duty. She may be infertile or have lost her only child to illness. Perhaps a woman could not marry because she had to take care of her ill parents. It does not matter how difficult a woman’s circumstances that prevent her from being a wife and mother, she is “unacceptable”. I am a widow with no children because of infertility, so I am “unacceptable”.

    Another consequence of complementarism is that nothing else a woman accomplishes matters. My PhD studies, NASA fellowship, university graduate college service award or mission trip to Africa do not matter. Because I am a childless widow, I am a “failure”.

    It really hurts to be judge a “failure” and “unacceptable” due to circumstances beyond my control. I did not ask to become a childless widow. So I decided to do other things with my life.

  86. Teri – you know, they are the ones losing out in not seeing and understanding who it is that they are ignoring (you).

    I am appalled at the way people have been so callous and cold to you since you lost your husband – though perhaps they are afraid to go through such a deep loss and are keeping you at arms’ length (partly) to hide from their fears? (Not that that gets them off the hook one iota, imo…)

    It sounds like you are living a truly full life – and that maybe you’re envied? (Hmm.)

    In any case, congrats congrats congrats – a NASA fellowship! And that award! And so much more!!!

  87. Teri, my heart goes out to you. I had a hard enough time in a moderately comp church as a wife and SAHM, I can only imagine what it’s like to be in your position. Truth is, they’re mostly a bunch of inadequate people who are intimidated by your awesomeness. In my experience with such people, if you scare them by being smart and capable, they will retaliate by using whatever bullying tactics it takes to diminish you and get you under control. The fact that Jesus came to set His people free is something they conveniently ignore. They are still in bondage to their own egos, so they have to make sure everyone else is in bondage too.

    None of which makes it any easier when you’re the one on the receiving end. May the Lord Himself tenderly show you how very precious you are to Him.

  88. I converted to WELS immediately after my husband’s death. The pastor in my first WELS church was very kind and understanding. Parishioners did not accept me there either, which the pastor attributed to the fact that I am different. He said that there are not many WELS women who are scientists.

  89. Happy 3rd Blogday. I still remember you mentioning the early talks of the blog; it seemed so far off at the time! (And so unreal that everything seemed to unravel at once.)

  90. Happy birthday, TWW, from chilly SoCal!

    Thank you, Dee and Deb, for bringing all these things to light and helping us to be better Bereans.

  91. Teri
    All those who judge you in such a way are playing at Christianity. They are stuck in the Old Covenant and are to be pitied for their utter misunderstanding of the faith. Once you no longer need a parking permit, get thee to a real fellowship (note I did not say church-fellowship is my new name).

  92. Teri
    At the rate things are going WELS will have, at the minimum, one less woman scientist shortly.

  94. Jenny
    Chilly SoCal? You guys have some of the best weather on the planet! Thanks for the greeting.

  95. Ehhh, from what I’ve seen of SoCal the weather choices are 1) Hot and dry 2) Humid 3) Earthquakes 4) Fire.

  97. Deb/Dee

    Congrats on your 3rd birthday and for the many great subjects you have covered in this time.
    Especially would I congratulate you for differing between ‘old & ‘new’ Calvanism.. You do a great service in this and many other ways.

    Thanks again

    Keep it up

  99. Dee and Deb,

    Congratulations and happy birthday!!! I appreciate the incredible commitment and sacrifices you’ve made for your blog and all the hard work it takes to bring us truth and understanding of Christian trends. Thank you for helping us to stay on guard and for your love and ministry to those of us who have been wounded by the church. I’m so proud of you!!

  100. Congrats and happy birthday to a great blog!

    I learned of it from reading Pastor Wade Burleson’s blog.

    Between the two blogs I’ve learned that much that felt like “what did I do wrong” was really a case of “what took over the church.”

    When we make numbers the goal, we set ourselves up for a fall.

    But thanks to TWW and Pastor Wade and couple of other blogs, I’m experiencing a personal revival to heart felt salvation. And, I’m realizing what passes these days for that is often nothing but religion.

    Religion can claim to be Christian, but it is still just religion and of no more value than any other religion. All of them have as end game control over the thoughts and behavior of individuals.

    Ah, but to be believer with a relationship with the living God is something else entirely, and sharing that with others should be the point of all we do.

    There is a saying in my part of the country about “a little less talk and a lot more action.” I think I need the motto “a little less religion and a lot more salvation” to guide my choices and actions.

    Thanks for your work!

  101. Linda
    Thanks for your kind comments. The more people hear about this stuff, the more people might start saying….”Now hold on one darn minute….”

  102. I grew up in California the seasons there as I leanred are..

    1. Earthquake
    2. Fires
    3. Riots
    4. Floods

    In Wisconsin when I lived there the seasons are

    1. Winter
    2. Winter
    3. Still Winter
    4. Road construction

    — Eagle

    And in Seattle, the seasons are:
    1. Rain
    2. Rain
    3. Rain
    4. Start building that Ark…

  103. Teri,

    I am perplexed. How do people of intellectual moxie such as yourself allow themselves to be brutalized by a religious system not based on the rational or even rudimentary forms of critical thought?

    Please don’t take my query wrong or that I’m assigning blame to you for doing so, I would simply like to understand the mechanism involved that allows otherwise bright people fall for the stuff you’ve described hook-line-and-sinker.

  104. Muff: Satan seeks to destroy and he’s an effective deceiver. That’s what I’d put it down to.

  105. Muff Potter asked a very good question that I will do my best to answer. She asked how an intelligent person like me could fall for a cult-like religion. Unfortunately even an intelligent person can be deceived by a church.

    Pastors and parishioners in churches with extreme views do not greet newcomers with incendiary comments like “we think women are inferior” or “we only associate with other WELS members”. They want to expand their membership rolls and they also want the financial support that comes with increased membership. Instead they greet newcomers with statements that most people agree with like “we believe in strengthening the family”.

    WELS has a 5 month membership class that covers their doctrines. The Vision Forum home church I attended for 3 months had no membership orientation. Even the WELS membership classes avoided statements like “women must obey their husbands”, even though many WELS parishioners believe this. The home church members were more deliberately misleading and never mentioned controversial doctrines from Vision Forum, such as women should not work outside the home.

    After a time, I gradually noticed disturbing doctrines and attitudes that conflicted with what I was initially told about the church. My response was confusion and then denial. I told myself “no one really believes that women are inferior, so I must have misunderstood”. When people were not friendly at the WELS church, I thought I needed more time to get to know people and I was just over-reacting.

    At the home church, I lasted only 3 months because their views were so extreme. For example, there was a sermon about slavery in the south. The elder said that “romantic” images of whips and chains were not accurate. Slavery was really benefical for black people. Another elder really astonished me by suggesting that I needed to remarry right away. This comment evoked an image of me abandoning my scientific career and spending the rest of my life siting at home wearing ugly deninm jumpers, so I sarcastically asked him if he had someone in mind for me to marry.

    A few years ago I became sure a problem existed at my WELS church and I was not over-reacting. By then, I was “hooked” because I needed a parking permit, had made a friend at church and had developed a habit of regular attendance. Because I was so busy with my studies, searching for a new church that also could provide a parking permit was a daunting task.

    I was vulnerable to the influence of a cult-like church because I had just lost my husband and my entire family and all my in-laws had deserted me. People from the WELS and home churches initially were kind to me and seemed to offer the support I needed. I was very aware of the existence of Christian cults and even read a book about Christian cults while attending these churches. But the book described extreme situations like a person being pressured into giving all their savings to the church. The pressure from WELS and the home church was much more subtle and not so egregious. No one ever asked me for money.

    So yes even an intelligent person can fall for a cult because cult members do not say “hi we are a cult, come join us”.

  106. Teri,

    Thank you for your reply. Human vulnerability can account for much of your bad experience (or mine for that matter) with religion. But I think it begs the question to a degree and that there are no easily quantifiable answers.

    Germany was the home of Beethoven, Schiller, Goethe and the flowering of worldly Judaism but she still fell under the spell of an Austrian Corporal who promised good things up front and delivered only death and destruction in the end. No easily understood mechanism there either.

  108. When are you going to get a Facebook page so we can “like” articles and share with friends?

  109. Mark
    After i take care of one more issue, Facebook is the next on my list. And may I say thank you for caring about it. 🙂

  110. Re-vitalization Of The Salvation Experience: A Personal Revival Of The Heart?

    HowDee YaAll,

    You betcha…

    Yes, I think like Linda sayz, we need to stop listen’in to da religion peddlers. …at first, they sound so convincing…

    Hmmm…

    “Religion can claim to be Christian, but it is still just religion and of no more value than any other religion. All of them have as end game control over the thoughts and behavior of individuals.” -Linda, @TWW

    ”Now hold on one darn minute….” (wink)

    Ize a’ think’in, that is why, I have found it so important after having an ‘Ah Ha Moment’ and seen’in the importance of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done on the cross to heal my soul and extinguish the barrier of sin that separates me  from “the life” which is none other than God Himself.  Yeah! The bible has shown me that Jesus is the light of men, shining in the darkness, that try as it might, the darkness of Satan, the god of this world, can not over-shadow the light of God, as shown in the pages of the bible. I have found it very important for me, to stay (where it is within my power) in that light. To flee from the darkness, (where ever possible) and to bask in the sunlight of God’s Word, as He so graciously gives me understanding.

    Maybe itz juz me, but I can’t help but love a God who after giv’in me His best, wantz me to be filled with all of His Spirit, light, love, and goodness.

    Whew!  (Lord! I’ll take seconds!)

    The McHaneys, and McDriscolls of the world can juz peddle thayz religion somes wheres else…

    (grin)

    Lord, waz fer dez-sert? (I washed ma face n’ hands, I did!)

    hahahahahahaha

    Sopy ;~)
    ___
    Heather Martin- “God’s Love”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_iCicK5UkI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  111. Sopy

    “The McHaneys, and McDriscolls of the world can juz peddle thayz religion somes wheres else” That’s right. They peddle religion and worship of an entity. Christianity is a relationship but they seem to have made the relationship all about them.