My wife loves to put together puzzles. During the Thanksgiving season she is already gathering the puzzle boxes down from the loft, choosing her next victim, extracting the pieces out of the box and onto the living room table. I think her love for puzzles is one of the reasons she was drawn to me and why she probably married me in the first place. I'm a human walking puzzle, incomplete with a few strategic missing pieces. Missing pieces that got lost somewhere along the way or maybe were never in the box to start.
For what ever reason I have decided to give you all a brief testimony in a nut shell, which is an incredibly descriptive narrative for me. Lets see if we can crack the shell and look at the nut inside. What kind of person was god forming me into? I grew up in the late nineteen sixties or early nineteen seventies. I was a completely screwed up kid for that time or any time. I preferred to be alone out hiking in the woods somewhere. I felt closer to my god that way I guess and I do mean god with a little g because I had not yet found God with a big G. The true and living God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
After surviving psychedelic drug use, missing out on Nirvana (the place not the band) and not being able to sit still long enough for my transcendental meditation to kick in I found myself getting more isolated. At that time in my life I probably could have been the Uni-Bomber's roommate holed up in some mountain cabin or something worse. I'll spare you all the tedious details. See, my life really was like a jig saw puzzle with a missing God shaped piece at my core. Also, growing up and living in the middle of the sexual revolution during the 1970's had its down side. My parents fought constantly, separated one moment, divorced the next than becoming friends again until my mom 's passing at the age of sixty-three from lung cancer.
I needed a miracle in my life and I got it through prayer, prayer works! When I was fourteen or fifteen years old I found God, spelled with a capital G. Some of my relatives had been praying for me and their prayer s were finally heard so keep praying for all your loved ones. My early church experience looked like this: I went to Scott Memorial East, in El Cajon Ca., which later became the Mega Church Shadow Mountain. I had to capitalize mega church because it just doesn't look as cool spelled in lower case letters. Tim LaHaye was the pastor and loved to preach on missions and the book of Revelation. In fact, I was there when Dr. David Jeremiah first came to speak before he became the new pastor. Folks, I was invited to Scott Memorial and I probably would not have gone if it was not for Nick Maniscalco. Yes, we all need to be active and invite un-churched people to church and pray that the Christians they meet there don't act too carnally. First impressions are important.
Puzzle pieces, right, lets go back to the table and find another piece. I liked to read my bible allot in the early days. I loved all the stories Jesus would tell and teach his friends. I also liked the men Jesus picked to be around Him. I think everyone of the apostles had distinct personalities that mirrored our own. We can see ourselves in them and learn from them without suffering on our own. Most of the stories in the bible are applicable to our own situations that we find ourselves in. So the story about the Prodigal son fits me. I was a true Prodigal Son in every sense of the word. And you know for the next ten years of my life I walked away from God. He ended up carrying me for the entire distance on His shoulders. Have you ever seen that picture of footprints in the sand when it starts out with two sets and then just turns into one set of footprints? The caption reads something like why did you leave me God? And Jesus says, I didn't leave you I was carrying you. That was a picture of my life.
In my late twenties while traveling in Colorado Springs, Colorado another friend invited me to go to Calvary Chapel there. I went with her and really enjoyed entire experience including the new style of worship and sermon delivery which was like storytelling. I was immediately hooked on this new relationship we could have with God and became a Calvary Chapel man for life, or so I thought. Now, lets fast forward turning the clock ahead twenty-four years to today. So why am I still such a puzzle? Why are my relationships with other human beings at such a low point ? One puzzle piece I found to satisfy my church requirement is to go out with the Street Angels and minister to homeless people in downtown San Diego.
My education: I have been to seminary, I have become a licensed minister and ordained by a group of my peers. And now I find the more I read, study and learn about the bible the more questions I have. I'm beginning to discover that there are holes in certain areas of what I thought was a "Rock Solid" belief system. Its like puzzle pieces have been lost from the box and have fallen under the table making for an incomplete picture. So now as I walk through the living room of my life and glance down at the table the puzzle remains to be finished. Where are the missing pieces?
Lets fast forward to today: As I sit here writing I'm no longer a part of this non-denominational, denomination called Calvary Chapel. However, I am still in the body of Christ and part of a larger kingdom view that Jesus attempted to teach us about. Even Pastor Chuck Smith never really wanted their fellowship to become a denomination. But now, beginning with the day of my departure I am feeling like I am breaking out of a cocoon. Trying to shed my caterpillar skin, warm my new wings in the warmth of God's Son and readying myself for first flight!
I willingly dedicated the last twenty-four years of my life to my local Church in leading worship, preaching and teaching.the church body to love as Jesus did. I grew up spiritually through their "Home Fellowship" system which really is great way to learn about Jesus, The Way and the church or the "called out ones". So my question to all of you is this: Can Calvary Chapel be considered a cult? I do not believe they are a cult. However, there might be some resemblance to cult practices in their inability or inflexibility to consider other theological possibilities and view points. In their defense the main thing Calvary Chapel as a denomination got right was that they listened to the Holy Spirit and focused their attention and teaching on Jesus. It really is all about Jesus. Knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him. Being like-minded with Him.
I use to think for somebody to go to church they had to be a conservative, vote republican and be politically motivated. I now however feel quite different. For having been forgiven so much we ought not to be so judgemental and hateful of others who don't share our identical beliefs. We should be flexible and build relationships with people so that we can minister to them, not force feed our own dogma and belief systems down their throats. Jesus said that the truth would set us free. Its time for us to love people like Jesus did. To stop threatening people with hell and instead teach them about Jesus. We need to begin the Divine process of healing through sanctification so that we are ready to love the people God sprinkles around us. I do feel as if I am truly free now, no bondage or entanglements, no longer producing energy for the Calvary Chapel Collective but more intent on becoming a brighter light for a larger kingdom here on earth and in heaven. So with the umbilical cord severed I'm now breathing fresh air from outside and thinking of new ways to love others. Oh God, Thank you so much for Jesus, the truth, the way and the life...Knowledge of Jesus really does set you free!
For what ever reason I have decided to give you all a brief testimony in a nut shell, which is an incredibly descriptive narrative for me. Lets see if we can crack the shell and look at the nut inside. What kind of person was god forming me into? I grew up in the late nineteen sixties or early nineteen seventies. I was a completely screwed up kid for that time or any time. I preferred to be alone out hiking in the woods somewhere. I felt closer to my god that way I guess and I do mean god with a little g because I had not yet found God with a big G. The true and living God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
After surviving psychedelic drug use, missing out on Nirvana (the place not the band) and not being able to sit still long enough for my transcendental meditation to kick in I found myself getting more isolated. At that time in my life I probably could have been the Uni-Bomber's roommate holed up in some mountain cabin or something worse. I'll spare you all the tedious details. See, my life really was like a jig saw puzzle with a missing God shaped piece at my core. Also, growing up and living in the middle of the sexual revolution during the 1970's had its down side. My parents fought constantly, separated one moment, divorced the next than becoming friends again until my mom 's passing at the age of sixty-three from lung cancer.
I needed a miracle in my life and I got it through prayer, prayer works! When I was fourteen or fifteen years old I found God, spelled with a capital G. Some of my relatives had been praying for me and their prayer s were finally heard so keep praying for all your loved ones. My early church experience looked like this: I went to Scott Memorial East, in El Cajon Ca., which later became the Mega Church Shadow Mountain. I had to capitalize mega church because it just doesn't look as cool spelled in lower case letters. Tim LaHaye was the pastor and loved to preach on missions and the book of Revelation. In fact, I was there when Dr. David Jeremiah first came to speak before he became the new pastor. Folks, I was invited to Scott Memorial and I probably would not have gone if it was not for Nick Maniscalco. Yes, we all need to be active and invite un-churched people to church and pray that the Christians they meet there don't act too carnally. First impressions are important.
Puzzle pieces, right, lets go back to the table and find another piece. I liked to read my bible allot in the early days. I loved all the stories Jesus would tell and teach his friends. I also liked the men Jesus picked to be around Him. I think everyone of the apostles had distinct personalities that mirrored our own. We can see ourselves in them and learn from them without suffering on our own. Most of the stories in the bible are applicable to our own situations that we find ourselves in. So the story about the Prodigal son fits me. I was a true Prodigal Son in every sense of the word. And you know for the next ten years of my life I walked away from God. He ended up carrying me for the entire distance on His shoulders. Have you ever seen that picture of footprints in the sand when it starts out with two sets and then just turns into one set of footprints? The caption reads something like why did you leave me God? And Jesus says, I didn't leave you I was carrying you. That was a picture of my life.
In my late twenties while traveling in Colorado Springs, Colorado another friend invited me to go to Calvary Chapel there. I went with her and really enjoyed entire experience including the new style of worship and sermon delivery which was like storytelling. I was immediately hooked on this new relationship we could have with God and became a Calvary Chapel man for life, or so I thought. Now, lets fast forward turning the clock ahead twenty-four years to today. So why am I still such a puzzle? Why are my relationships with other human beings at such a low point ? One puzzle piece I found to satisfy my church requirement is to go out with the Street Angels and minister to homeless people in downtown San Diego.
My education: I have been to seminary, I have become a licensed minister and ordained by a group of my peers. And now I find the more I read, study and learn about the bible the more questions I have. I'm beginning to discover that there are holes in certain areas of what I thought was a "Rock Solid" belief system. Its like puzzle pieces have been lost from the box and have fallen under the table making for an incomplete picture. So now as I walk through the living room of my life and glance down at the table the puzzle remains to be finished. Where are the missing pieces?
Lets fast forward to today: As I sit here writing I'm no longer a part of this non-denominational, denomination called Calvary Chapel. However, I am still in the body of Christ and part of a larger kingdom view that Jesus attempted to teach us about. Even Pastor Chuck Smith never really wanted their fellowship to become a denomination. But now, beginning with the day of my departure I am feeling like I am breaking out of a cocoon. Trying to shed my caterpillar skin, warm my new wings in the warmth of God's Son and readying myself for first flight!
I willingly dedicated the last twenty-four years of my life to my local Church in leading worship, preaching and teaching.the church body to love as Jesus did. I grew up spiritually through their "Home Fellowship" system which really is great way to learn about Jesus, The Way and the church or the "called out ones". So my question to all of you is this: Can Calvary Chapel be considered a cult? I do not believe they are a cult. However, there might be some resemblance to cult practices in their inability or inflexibility to consider other theological possibilities and view points. In their defense the main thing Calvary Chapel as a denomination got right was that they listened to the Holy Spirit and focused their attention and teaching on Jesus. It really is all about Jesus. Knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him. Being like-minded with Him.
I use to think for somebody to go to church they had to be a conservative, vote republican and be politically motivated. I now however feel quite different. For having been forgiven so much we ought not to be so judgemental and hateful of others who don't share our identical beliefs. We should be flexible and build relationships with people so that we can minister to them, not force feed our own dogma and belief systems down their throats. Jesus said that the truth would set us free. Its time for us to love people like Jesus did. To stop threatening people with hell and instead teach them about Jesus. We need to begin the Divine process of healing through sanctification so that we are ready to love the people God sprinkles around us. I do feel as if I am truly free now, no bondage or entanglements, no longer producing energy for the Calvary Chapel Collective but more intent on becoming a brighter light for a larger kingdom here on earth and in heaven. So with the umbilical cord severed I'm now breathing fresh air from outside and thinking of new ways to love others. Oh God, Thank you so much for Jesus, the truth, the way and the life...Knowledge of Jesus really does set you free!
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