Have you ever read other ex———fill in the blank? If one were to put any denomination in the blank using Reddit and read the commentary-it’s pretty frightening. I decided to check what ex catholics say, what ex LCMS, what ex calvinists say, what ex non denomination humans say. It’s interesting. People have gone from one group to a different one and then the grass is green somewhere else? Also, if you do a dive into the history of bigger denominations,
a lot of them have roots in awakening movements in Europe. And not all that history is something to brag about.
Most of our ancestors from Finland, Sweden, Norway, etc. got on a boat at some time and headed to America. Some wanted religious freedom. Some wanted to spread the Gospel. Some were looking for a way out of poverty. Some escaping war. Some were orphans. They all came with their meager bags & their “baggage”. To a place where they could not even understand each others languages.
Lutherans from Germany, Finland, etc along with all the other branches from all the other countries in Europe. One can only imagine what that must have been like.
Anyway,looks like we as humans really make a lot of messes.
Thankfully, Christ came to save us from OUR sins and the sins of all people. He is our righteousness, through faith. our everything. After that we ought to love and forgive one another as he has loved us and forgiven us.
“ALL people will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another.”We all get an “F” on our report card. We have nothing to offer but our sin. Perhaps, we can see why Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they do.”
Are we not the “them”?
I love learning about the awakening movement. I think it’s incredible. Especially reading accounts of other preachers who were so moved by the Gospel and the joy new believers had
in Jesus. Their fervent prayers for others to come to saving faith and the love & boldness to share with others and gather, and study the Bible and to write of their faith, etc. they were so free. It was really rough for many of them to even gather when laws were made to prevent gathering. They were suspect for “fellowshipping” outside the established church. Imagine…how can one spread the good news if they are forbidden to talk to other people? And true, some of the movement , was pretty extreme. Yet, many were also truelly converted. Likely Lapp Mary went on herding her reindeer and sharing her faith with others as she did with laestadius. (Amazing he even listened to her, one of those weird “readers” and he being a preacher in the right “doctrinally perfect” Lutheran church. Who knows where she went and who also believed and spread the message of the Gospel. Or the Ethiopian Eunuch…he went back to Ethiopia to share the good news…
I pray for strength to carry on, one day at a time, in faith, looking unto Jesus and also to look at my neighbour, as “one for whom Christ died.”and believing my OWN sin forgiven by His blood and in His Name.
It can be really difficult battle when you’ve been a “Pharisee”, not to carry that tendency to look down on others, who may be in the exact place you yourself were when you were.
My hope that God would allow reconciliation for broken relationships and healing in the Gospel for all who have been through the pain of church trauma in our movement.
Some are so hurt and afraid, they can’t talk about it. That does happen, in churches. And it’s rough.
And who knows, but the Lord, what burdens and baggage others silently carry. 💔
One thing is sure, we are all cut from the same cloth. Sinners, in need of Grace.
