Maybe you’ve experienced one of these churches? Satellite campuses galore, a magnetic personality preaching on a big screen, Sunday Schools, Life Groups, rock climbing walls, an oil change ministry—the whole shebang. There was a service to suit every musical taste, and a Sunday school or ministry for every age group or interest. Most of all though, there was always something to do, and always a teaching on what we should be doing.
…What we were looking for—and not finding—was rest. Rest from the constant demands of “do more and do better.” Our world was lacking the relief and rest that comes from a proper law/gospel distinction, but God had more to take us through before He would show us.
…We didn’t have a vocabulary yet to help us describe our frustrations, but I know now that God was using this particular church experience to prepare us to understand and appreciate Reformed ecclesiology. Ideas like the marks of a true church, ordained ministry of word and sacrament, the ordinary means of grace–these were what we were longing for without even knowing what they were. We were definitely on our way to Geneva, but we had one more stop before we would get there… Read more»
9623 Eden Dr
Angela,
Now I understand the clarity of your convictions and your passion for Sola Scriptura, Church Order, the Administration of the Sacraments and Church Discipline. Our Lord has brought you through the world’s maze of ‘gatherings’ to a Reformed Presbyterian Church and hopefulling will bless you in the Church settled on Scripture and confessional (Creeds, Catechism, Confession) Reformed Theology. I appreciate your corrections and encouragement.
Hi Catherine,
Here is the author:
https://twitter.com/ImAngelaPangela
Oops!
I thought this was Angela Werner!
So much for close reading!
Catherine, Lol! I do identify with Angela P’s experiences even though her’s are very different from mine. God uses our experiences to teach us and sanctify us. God has a purpose in regeneration, first to justify us and then through the process of sanctification to recreate us in the spiritual and moral image of Christ, even though it is just the bare beginning in this life. The advantage of being old is to be able to look back and get a glimpse of how God has used even painful experiences in the process of sanctification for His purpose. The other advantage is that old age prepares you, more and more, to look forward to the next life. I’m happy to think that I could share a little that might encourage you. I flatter myself with imagining that I was very much like you, many years ago when I came to faith, in the eagerness, I see in you to learn and understand, and know God as He reveals Himself in His Word.
My favorite anecdote from Luther is when he says, I owe my Papists many thanks for so beating, pressing, and frightening me through the devil’s raging that they have turned me into a fairly good theologian, driving me to a goal I never would have reached.” Every Christian can tell their own version of Luther’s story by replacing Papists with, in my case, Arminianism and Federal Vision, and in your case a cult church that made you feel discouraged and guilty unless you did what they wanted, similar to Angela P’s experiences.
Thank you for posting this. It brings back memories.