The stuff that little Texan zombie goddesses are made of, living where the brains are served warm and the sarcasm is served raw.

The Adventures Of Zuzu Zombie, Undead Detective

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

things they are a-changing

I realize that some of the things I said in my meme yesterday weren't explained very well, so I will try to do that now.  Ready?  I'm not...

The big question was: What?  Not a Nazarene?  Wasn't your husband a pastor?

Don is *still* a pastor.  He has a Masters in Theology and is a pastor, just not a *Nazarene* pastor.  I asked him numerous times why he didn't become ordained in the Nazarene church.  The reason is, once you are, you *always* are.  Now, we believe in the Nazarene doctrine, but by doing that, we would not be able to take up a pastor's position in any church *but* a Nazarene church, and then the almighty hand of the Nazarene district heads would say where you could and couldn't go.  For any one who knows us, we don't take orders all that well.  The way we have kept it, we are open to go to any church we chose, as long as we believe doctrine the way xyz church does.  This *also* allows us to remain *nondenominational*, doing God our way, not the way a small black manual tells us we must.  

For all intents and purposes, we have left the Nazarene church.  Don, the girls and I, are going to start our own home group, and see where it takes us.  We *ARE NOT* a church plant.  80-90% of church plants *fail* their first year because of insane expectations, either set up by the person planting or the church affiliation planting them.  We are starting out as a small group, with the prayers and hope to become something more.  Not necessarily *bigger*, just *more*.  We are focusing on the Gen X and Gen Y's, becoming an "emergant" church.  To see exactly what we are talking about doing, instead of trying to explain and messing it up, check out this article:


It explains it easily and completely.

The "end", as it were, went way wrong in comparison to how we wanted it to be.  I won't drag people through the mud, but suffice it to say that we feel that instead of having an opportunity to leave through an open door, we were kicked out quickly.  What was supposed to end at the end of May became done on Mother's Day, much to Dons' and my surprise...no prep, no warning.  "Don and Penny are leaving", pray pray pray, don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.  We are still sitting here wondering with the heck happened and why.  We aren't, nor had even had a thought, of "stealing" members of the church if that were a fear.  Heck, our "service" time will be around 6 p.m. on Sunday, not first thing in the morning (one of the emergant things lol).  It felt as if those that we shared life with, meals with, loved, prayed for, cried over, for 8 years, just went "Oh.  You are leaving.  Wait.  Who are you?"  Forgotten before you even go.  I spent part of Mother's Day and most of Monday crying one minute and being totally infuriated the next.  And people wonder why I don't let anyone "in".

So, yes, I am hurt.  Bad.  It will be fine.  We are doing what we feel God has called us to do.  If this causes sour grapes on other peoples parts, I am sorry, but I won't try to fix it this time.  We talked of our calling with people in our church for years and always heard the same thing:

Wait.

Wait and we will see.

Wait until we tell you you can.

We are done waiting for permission from someone else besides God.  If we fail, we fail.  We stand up and try again.  But we won't stand still anymore.

On a cool note, there is a tattoo parlor on M-24 just before Meijers now :).  Yea me!

\IiiI 


5 comments:

Romany said...

Oh, I'm so sorry that this happened to you. We went through something a little similar last year. I cried for months. I'm better now.{g}

Found your blog through Pamela's.

Anonymous said...

You know I'm here for you! Loved having you over last night. If you need me just give me a holler!

Hugs!

Wee Pip said...

I pray for blessings upon your home church! We spent 2 yrs in a home church before everyone moved out of MI last summer (kinda hard to have a home church when everyone leaves!) Overall, I think it was a good experience. I am sorry that your old church was less than supportive. That really hurts:(

Sleepy Cat Hollow said...

Here's to a good quality home church!

...and a painless tat :) Watcha gonna get?

Stacey said...

Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. The stories we could all tell. I have a few myself. The church can be so horribly political and it's just no wonder non-Believers say, "why would I want to be a part of THAT?" Good question! That is the devil taking hold in his deceitful ways. Oh Penny, God be with you and your husband. I know you are in prayer and will follow His leading. We will keep you in our prayers as well. Home churches are wonderful places of meeting and fellowship and the Spirit working! Blessing to you all.