Rev. Bill Crawford's church in Louisiana has said, "Goodbye, PC(USA)." Bill didn't care much for my activities. I think my rapture posts really fried his fish. Even though I don't care much for being "reported", I am sad to see him go, truth be told. But it appears he and his congregation are happier now, and why not be happy?
Godspeed, Bill. This one's for you:
John,
ReplyDeleteYou may be a heretic but at least you have a sense of humor.
God bless (and change) you.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteGod has blessed many by giving John the ability to speak up. I am a believer that God doesn't change us. We do, however have the ability to learn and grow into better people. Many feel that their individual beliefs are superfluous and therefore should silence all of the others. Do you know the price of silence?
The Price of Silence
First they came for the immigrants
And I did not speak up
Because I was not an immigrant.
Then they came for the teenaged mothers
And I did not speak up
Because I was not one of them
Then they came for the Gays and Lesbians
And I did not speak up
Because I was not Lesbian or Gay
Then they came for the people of color
But as they left me alone
I did not speak up
Then they came for the Jews,
The elderly, the radicals, the farmers,
The "disabled", the trade unionists,
The poor, the artists...
But I believed they were doing it for me
And I did not speak up
Then they came for me
And by then
There was no one left to speak up
(Pastor Niemoller, a Nazi prisoner)
Leave a forwarding address.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how long until the EPC is wracked with divisiveness over the ordination of women. I hope that folks like Bill know what they're leading their congregations into.
Oh, I'm sure he knows! Why, I'll wager some of the women in his congregation still wear pants!
ReplyDelete"I hope that folks like Bill know what they're leading their congregations into".
ReplyDeleteI don't know what they're leading them into, but I do know what they're leading them out of...
...the unconditional love Jesus mandated.
Again I ask Bill Crawford, is your neighbor Gay and have you treated him the way you would have him treat you?
Answer correctly or embrace oblivion. It's that simple.
Bill Crawford has found a church fitting with his theology. Good for him and his flock. And though his closing, "God bless (and change) you" is a hostile slap from a hostile theology, may God change us all.
ReplyDeleteYou all can take it as a slap I suspect John understands it as being consistent.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate his sense of humor I still consider him a danger to the Church. Fortunately for both of us I am no longer a member of the same ecclesia so we no longer have to tangle.
As to this silliness that God won't change us - you need to read your bibles if you have one. I am so grateful that God loved me too much to leave me as I was.
As to all the other judgements I'm not really too worried about it. You have no idea how I spend my time loving my neighbor as myself (enough to tell them change is not only possible but necessary) and I am sure you wouldn't bother to listen if I did.
So God bless you and I pray change you - into the person God means for you to be (there I clarified it a bit).
and now so long
Into the person God wants me to be or the person Bill Crawford wants me to be?
ReplyDeleteAdieu. Enjoy the EPC and get ready for a fight over the ordination of women. You'll even get to use the "essentials" terminology.
Into the person God wants me to be or the person Bill Crawford wants me to be?
ReplyDeleteYou mean those aren't one and the same person?
Who knew?
P.S.
I just want to say that I love the Beatles and I love that video.