Background: I was recently involved in a church discipline situation dealing with a couple that have numerous run-ins with other members of the church, even to the point of threatening and attempting physical violence. The church leadership has on numerous attempts tried to help them, counseling, leadership restrictions, etc. This church is a non-UPC church, but adheres to the basic UPC doctrines of Salvation and view of God. There isn't a culture of outward holiness standards, but a typical orthodox OP church. Some members come from the UPC, some through other streams of Christian faith.
Here is the disturbing incident, yours truly (Cookin-with-Stoneking) sat in with a Pastor to discuss the latest incident with this angry couple. After listening to the couple yell out their one-sided perspective about how another family in the church has done them wrong, out to undermine their latest business venture and how that the Pastor did not intervene or doing anything to prevent it.
After hearing the Pastor say that it wasn't the way that he saw it, the man jumped up, screamed I am out of here, proceeded to kick a trash can, kick the door, all the time screaming obscenities and profanity at the Pastor, saying to him as well that your no man of God, you're ******, you're trash and I don't have respect for you and if you were not a OLD MAN I would come over there and put you in your place.
The Pastor most likely unwise to do so told the man Goodbye and waved his hand, this inflamed the man more and he charged the man, to assault the Pastor, yours truly did his best to stand in the way of the rather large angry man. This did work to deter him from psychically assaulting him, but then he said that he was leaving and proceeded to grab some personnel sound equipment that he left at the church.
Now what was most disturbing as the man was leaving he proceeded to cuss out the Pastor for having those (bad word) Trinitarians and other (bad word) around here (a large singing family of AOG lineage was at the church recently doing a concert).
What a disconnect!
This family had no problem being rebellious, threaten physical violence against an elder minister, cursing all long angry that Trinitarians were ministering in the church.
It left me wandering what kind of disciples are we producing, they know doctrine, confess to have the HG but have become a habitation of demons when it comes to personal relationships and getting along with others. This preacher is quite disturbed.
Was this an isolated event or a symptom of a real disconnect between the weightier matters in the spiritual life of a present day believers?
Sounds to me like this person needs to go pray and get right. I went off on a preacher once. We were in a Wendy's when it happened. I caught his wife plotting with my wife to get me out of the house. When I confronted the situation, she denied it. When I finally got to speak with the preacher about it, he insisted we meet right then and there to discuss it. I kept telling him he needed to let me calm down some before we talked about it, but he continued to insist on meeting. The worst thing in the world anyone can do is try to talk to me when I am angry. Ya just have to let me calm down, and come back to a place of reason before you try talking about whatever it is that set me off. Anyway, this preacher thought he was man enough to ride Rico the Bucking Bronco and found himself thrown right off. Even still, I had to pray over going off on him. I didn't cuss at him (surprise, surprise), but I definitely went off on him and his wife for sticking their big nose somewhere it didn't belong.
In my opinion, that man does not reflect all Oneness Pentecostals.
I agree, and I hope my posts don't reflect that, but it was disturbing to see a person treat another person partly fueling his anger by so called fellowship with a trinitarian singing group. But it is clear this family has issues.
The first thing I think about when I hear a man doing everything that he did and then complaining about "trinitarians" is to think about the often quoted story about a UC minister having an affair at a hotel, then complaining about the television in the room.
It happens and I've heard worse. There have been more than one incident of people even getting shot to death at church.
we had to call the cops more than once.
my father pastored for 47 years and the things I can remember are astounding. Once there was an incident that you described and the man told my dad to(*****) and had to be restrained etc. Let me tell you, we see him around town pushing a cart, he's homeless, lives under a bridge adn his teeth are rotted out of his head from Drugs. You just give it time and watch and see what happens to people like this who wont repent.
we once had a man who got mad at the church and started spraying graffitti on our new church building. this went on for over a year. we knew who it was but we did nothing but Pray. I am not kidding, he ended up with a bullet in his head, murdered.
I know it can shatter your nerves, but we have no other choice but to trust in God. we just lost a 25 yr old in Iraq. sometimes I have to catch myself asking God "why one of ours" but I'm going to believe that God knows the beginning from the end better then we do
I'd say he's backslidden in his heart and is in a fearful place.
Pastors are always burdened with trying to reach for the lost, disciple the new and feed the older... many times those who've been around the Church of God for a long time, forget that they are supposed to be teachers and still need milk themselves.
Then there are the just plain nut-cases.
__________________ Mrs. LPW
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
The first thing I think about when I hear a man doing everything that he did and then complaining about "trinitarians" is to think about the often quoted story about a UC minister having an affair at a hotel, then complaining about the television in the room.
CWS and Mark, check your posts for cursing as per the rules of AFF.
__________________
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV
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