tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849880221463921104.post7136776920995059249..comments2024-01-27T04:16:46.260-08:00Comments on The Other Adventist Home: A Tribute--To My Friends Who Popped Popcorn to Watch Annual Counciltheotheradventisthomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833587098804932089noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849880221463921104.post-38599966740958560302017-10-14T09:25:26.640-07:002017-10-14T09:25:26.640-07:00I promise you that if anyone got up at Annual Coun...I promise you that if anyone got up at Annual Council and instead of hurling Bible texts and EG White quotes (we won't even talk about the irony of that one), they said out loud what they were afraid of, we might get somewhere. Like the Baptists couples who fear taking a shower together because it might lead to dancing, SDAs who fear women's ordination because it might lead to accepting preachers who practice homosexuality or whatever other sexual perversion you can think of, might just hear how ridiculous that sounds. Said out loud like that, it equates women with people who practice sexual perversion. Is that what they're saying? If nothing else, the open acknowledgement of the elephant in the room might just help them get some kind of support from the loyal opposition for protecting the church from that sort of silliness. At the same time, if someone said out loud in open meeting that they objected to Wilson's executive's efforts to take power back from the Unions that was given to them in 1901, a reorganization which was endorsed by the way by Ellen White and insured we moved forward unified in our diversity, perhaps we might talk about how to prevent that.<br /><br />Of course, that will never be allowed because it might result in a vote of no-confidence in the power grabbers and they might be asked to resign. <br /><br />The devil wishes to obscure the real issues and though even the officially loyal Adventist Today has been highly critical of the Wilson administration's handling of the issue. And Spectrum has all but called for the revolution. <br /><br />And the devil smiles. <br /><br />It's time to call a spade a spade and drag the whole nasty mess out on the table in public and see if we can't agree on what to do about it so everyone's fears are allayed. I think it's possible. I'm also afraid that those invested on either side won't allow it for fear they'll lose in an open debate.<br /><br />Sad for our church. As I said, you can tell which side I'm on by the way I framed this. It's easy to tell which thing I fear the most, so please don't complain. I'm sure anyone who wants to jump on me about this has strong beliefs of their own which they will be unable to fully hide.<br /><br />And that's the thing. Instead of hiding our guns, how about we lay them out on the table and have ourselves some real peace talks? <br /><br />My comfort is in the prophecy that though we will be challenged as a church, we will win through to the end.<br /><br />Yours in hope,<br /><br />Tom KingTom Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16700342512275624543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849880221463921104.post-56702976308336739452017-10-14T09:25:08.294-07:002017-10-14T09:25:08.294-07:00In the current conflict, the "sides" are...In the current conflict, the "sides" are defined by fear and that's always a bad motivation. It causes us to do stupid things to protect ourselves from an often misperceived threat. On the one hand, the anti-women's ordination see the other side as the camel's nose in the tent, behind which will surely come lesbian pastors, gay orgies in the family life center and pulpit-sharing with Catholic priests. Their response is to increase control at the top to reign in the leftist rebellion.<br /><br />On the other side we have people who actually studied the Glacier View WO decision and like the study of our policy of congregational segregation in the South, we are convinced it is an issue which can and should be addressed and rectified as much as we can. We see the centralization of power and threats to "discipline" the rebel unions as a threat to the long-standing "unity in diversity" that has been a hallmark of Adventism as we know it. <br /><br />Both sides see threats to either scriptural and institutional purity (whatever the Bible Study Conference at GV might have ruled), or to freedom and independence at the congregational level. One side fears corruption; the other side "kingly power".<br /><br />Even in trying to define the argument fairly, it's obvious where I come down on the issue. That said, I don't believe it's a two-sided issue. The devil doesn't with to merely divide us. He's trying to fracture the church into warring factions. I'm a conservative on most things, but I agree with women's ordination and the decentralization of power. As near as I can tell I'm part of what I suspect is at least a third group that wants to keep the fearful consequences of creeping perversion and corruption the Ted Wilson faction fears at bay. At the same time we fear the inevitable corruption that follows centralization of power in fewer and fewer hands.<br /><br />Jesus promised that the truth would set you free. I don't think we've heard the truth articulated yet - at least not in GC open meetings. As far as I know the only time anyone talked about it openly, they immediately pulled his books off the ABC shelves (or tried to). <br /><br /><br /><br />Tom Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16700342512275624543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849880221463921104.post-79493281082027335002017-10-14T09:03:57.628-07:002017-10-14T09:03:57.628-07:00I've just listened to this 3 part series on th...I've just listened to this 3 part series on the Holy Spirit and am starting to read the accompanying book (a free download). There are no sides in Gods kingdom. The Holy Spirit is poised and ready to fill his church one individual at a time. <br /><br />http://www.pmchurch.tv/service/2017/09/02/how-be-baptized-holy-spirit-part-1<br /><br />https://steps-to-personal-revival.info/Daisy A Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13477624197836514459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849880221463921104.post-2666713821073493952017-10-13T18:13:22.313-07:002017-10-13T18:13:22.313-07:00So well describes things. I appreciate and value y...So well describes things. I appreciate and value your ability to articulate and think through these timesRay Hartwellnoreply@blogger.com