"We're Here to Serve You!"

My dad, Rev. Wilford L. Denton, at mom's new grave (8-3-08)

That's Dad taking his first flowers to mom's grave at Riverside National Cemetery. We cried and prayed again... together. We thanked God for dad's service and a nation that's honored it my providing he and mom with a beautiful place for their bodies to be buried- for the family to gather for years to come.

Dad served in WWII - served big time and had to see and experience horrors he'd live with the remainder of his life - standing at mom's grave he said he'd done it a dozen times over to give mom so nice a resting place. The bureaucracy was a pain in the neck to deal with... they never gave us the time we needed for mom's interment on a day they weren't busy... they even got the headstone wrong... but here's the thing... they were there. Doing, or making an effort to do, just what they'd said they would do. I'm thankful.

Watched a video, again, of Ron Duncan, General Director of Church of God Ministries, Anderson, IN make a plea for more money for the church. They had graphs and testimonies of how the wheels are really coming off and if we don't do something fast we're in a world of hurt as a church. I don't doubt it. Even still, beyond the lingering guilt I carry as one who grew up in "the church" and one who's ordained and serves in "the church," I wasn't moved to change our budget.

Practically speaking- if I had made the video and was Director of Ministries -think I would have tried to show the value of our shared work together and convey the heart of our work together and the heartbreak that would move out across the church if suddenly all Anderson accomplished, year in and year out, disappeared. The video- really just a power point presentation turned video -was filled with low grade graphics, clips of meetings- more meetings... -and plenty of photos filled with mostly old, white, overweight men... smiling... I thought we were going broke?

I might have done it differently. But that's just me.

Personally speaking- I thought of dad and mom. They served the church of God faithfully from childhood. Their parents were leaders before them. I've prayed this isn't bitterness- hope it's not -because it sure sounds like it when I read it... but I'm blown away that our nation paid a price to remember mom- because dad served... and no one in Anderson bothered to send a card- after they each had given their entire lives. It just seems like good business sense- hire someone to remember when the faithful pass... we are after all, first and foremost, pastors. Would have made it so much easier to say: "Amen!" When Dr. Duncan made his plea for funds... when he said: "We're here to serve you!"

Instead, his words rang empty.

Here's the deal: mom and dad were well known on the national stage- not bragging -it is what it is. How many faithful servants who never wrote, spoke or traveled outside their own fellowship will slip into eternity- remembered by Our Father -missed by their family's and totally failed by the church at large?

Autonomy. Congregationalism. Maybe there's never been a better time to discuss our mutual obligation to each other.

Let me know what you think. You can email me at eric@centralcommunity.com or call directly at 714.907.4263.

blessings,

Eric

PS
Dr. Duncan, send dad a card.

thanks

Should We Be Offended?

"On July 24, 2008 a personal message in the form of an email was sent from Dr. Ronald V. Duncan, General Director of Church of God Ministries to all Pastors, churches, Area Administrators, and recent General Assembly delegates."

That's the intro to a script of an email with video links apparently sent out to "all Pastors, churches, Area Administrators, and recent General Assembly delegates."

You can find the link to it- what I'm certain we were meant to receive here and the total video here. Central Community's been affiliated with the church of God, Anderson, IN, since 1932... our inception in the heart of the great depression. So I'm guessing they must have just overlooked us... it's easy to do.

No harm - no foul.

an encouraging word

Central Community works on the streets of Los Angeles each week, in our 20th year at it, through our ministry to the homeless: Jackets for Jesus. We also work in Mexico- in our 10th year- through our church and children's home: Siempre Para Los Ninos. I send out pretty regular updates and it's always nice to hear an encouraging word in response. Today, a church of God pastor who'd never heard of our work dropped me a line just to say thanks... pretty cool.

God's blessed us and so many of our blessings have come through the prayers, support and encouragement of people across the church of God. Each note is like a card from home- hits the heart in a special way.

thanks brother- for today,

Eric

it's a good thing

That clean cut looking guy is Lloyd Moritz, Area Administer - Pacific Northwest Association of the Church of God... or something like that... he's also moderator of a blog on the church of God titled chogblog, (chog- church of God - get it?), you should check it out. He updates it occasionally and includes a long list of links to blogs and web sites pertinent to some things having to do with the church of God, Anderson, IN.

I cruise by the site at least once a day when I'm online just to see what's up.

check it out!

Eric

Like I Would Know...

You might find this link to info on the church of God, Anderson IN, interesting. I did. Wikipedia is obviously not the best source of knowledge on the planet... just the same... interesting to see what's changed in "our" church.

"Church polity is autonomous and congregational, with various state and regional assemblies offering some basic support for pastors and congregations."

Guess that one's under fire. My favorite reference to autonomy in the church these days is "sinful autonomy." Hundreds of millions of children sleep without shelter or food each night. Ten's of thousands die each day from preventable diseases and "leaders" are condemning autonomy. Just a tad off message.

But hey, that's just me.

I liked this section from Wikipedia:

"Below is a list of teachings that the Church of God(Anderson) now no longer teaches:"

Outward adornment: wedding rings, ear rings, lipstick on women, following worldly fashions

Entertainment such as movies, books with written material that contained writing such as was against Holiness, Holy Living and God.

Fellowship with teachings that they viewed as Babylonian, or false Christianity

Women who wear clothing that pertains to men, or women who now wear pants.

Divine Healing: the belief that God will heal those who love him

Ministers who are not paid a salary

No Musical Instruments (such as a piano or organ) in the worship service

No Divorce allowed

Much of the above is probably true in the church at large... with some BIG exceptions... the one that hits me hardest is on Divine Healing. I'm preaching on divine healing this weekend. We still teach it around Central Community. But we also still believe in autonomy of the local church. It was written in our bylaws decades before I arrived - and I've been here over 20 years.

Impossible to control what "the world" (whether you consider that "Babylon" or not) says about us. But with so many people searching online for spiritual truth these days... and since Wikipedia is easily edited, updated and corrected... might be wise for someone from the national ministry team to occasionally scan our definition.

or not.

blessings,

Eric