"Don't pray!" they told us. "We're praying!"
"Don't sing!" they told us. "You're not worthy of worshiping God!"
"Don't speak! We will tell people not to listen!"
"Don't write! We will tell people lies about you
that will taint what you post."
"We think you'd be happier at another church,"
they told us firmly (two elders, standing before us)--
and to make their meaning clear,
they stripped away our 36+ year membership,
stripped us naked
in front of everybody.
Part of the diaspora,
we followed nearly 200 other dazed people
and limped elsewhere.
Our new pastor opened his arms to embrace us.
He told his congregation,
"We are expanding our worship center,
with seating for an additional 175."
Through him
the Lord whispered,
I love to hear you pray!
I love to hear you sing!
When you speak of Me,
I am exalted!
When you write of Me,
your words delight My heart!
You will be happier here!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
PTSD
Another Sunday morning. Again I wake up tense, disturbed.
I sit on the edge of the bed, tears welling up.
"This is not that church," I say to Jerry. "Remind me the church we are now attending is not like that." I am breathing hard. "Not all church leaders are like that. These men will not treat us like that. They will not publicly denounce us. They will not humiliate us. They will not lie about us and turn our friends against us. Not all men are like that."
Jerry puts his arms around me. "No," he says gently. "He is not Lou."
I sit on the edge of the bed, tears welling up.
"This is not that church," I say to Jerry. "Remind me the church we are now attending is not like that." I am breathing hard. "Not all church leaders are like that. These men will not treat us like that. They will not publicly denounce us. They will not humiliate us. They will not lie about us and turn our friends against us. Not all men are like that."
Jerry puts his arms around me. "No," he says gently. "He is not Lou."
Monday, October 8, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
To those of you who prayed Todd through--
Dear friends who prayed Todd Raynesford through his catastrophic head-on collision April 19 (see HisScribbler, April 30 and May 1):
You were such a blessing when you prayed for Todd-- Would you now please pray for Rhonda Miller (niece of our good friend Tom Hawks), a single mom, mother of two teenagers, schoolteacher, in Chico, California, who had a horribly similar head-on collision July 28. Both femurs, left tibia or fibula, all bones in right foot, left elbow, left hand--all broken, compound fractures. Both knees crushed and fractured. Plus punctured lung. Doctors just recently decided not to amputate both legs. Rhonda was transported to a hospital 19 miles away by Life Flight, which alone will cost her $31,000.
Hit head-on by a drunk man who passed out--both drivers going 55 mph. The man had his 12-year old son in the car with him and is now in jail. He has only $100,000 liability insurance.
God did miracles for Todd and Tish in response to your prayers. I know He will again.
Thank you from all of us.
Jessica
You were such a blessing when you prayed for Todd-- Would you now please pray for Rhonda Miller (niece of our good friend Tom Hawks), a single mom, mother of two teenagers, schoolteacher, in Chico, California, who had a horribly similar head-on collision July 28. Both femurs, left tibia or fibula, all bones in right foot, left elbow, left hand--all broken, compound fractures. Both knees crushed and fractured. Plus punctured lung. Doctors just recently decided not to amputate both legs. Rhonda was transported to a hospital 19 miles away by Life Flight, which alone will cost her $31,000.
Hit head-on by a drunk man who passed out--both drivers going 55 mph. The man had his 12-year old son in the car with him and is now in jail. He has only $100,000 liability insurance.
God did miracles for Todd and Tish in response to your prayers. I know He will again.
Thank you from all of us.
Jessica
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Transplanted and growing again
Thank you, God. You take such good care of us!
The Lord led us to several churches before taking us back to and settling us in one of them. Like so many others who felt led or forced out of Grace Brethren Church over the past 22 years, I couldn't help weeping through the first sermons we heard, realizing how parched we had become.
We have been nursing greedily at a truly Biblical view of Jesus Christ--Almighty, Sovereign, transcendent yet God-with-us, exalted and lifted up, name above all names, worthy of worship by all His creation, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, compassionate Savior, willingly giving His life in place of ours, the only necessary and sufficient sacrifice for our autonomy and rebellion, the One who not only hears us but can answer our deepest cries for help and heal the brokenness in the innermost places of our spirit.
The church God led us back to already contains so many wounded refugees from GBC the sanctuary is being expanded to accomodate 125 more worshipers. It is comforting to go to an unfamiliar church and be embraced by dozens of familiar people. Some we barely knew at Grace welcome us as long-lost friends.
We now understand why those who left GBC before us left quietly and still do not want to talk about it. We never want to step on that property again. Its air is thick with the poisonous fog of deception. In my mind's eye I see there a circle of friends with their backs to us. Why would we want to relive reminders that they chose to believe lies about us and, under orders by the perpetrators, refused to read this blog, blocked our emails, and would not let us speak to them--much less seek us out to ask why we were taking a stand against the leadership?
Like so many other outcasts, we are skittish about committing to another institution. I have trouble trusting what any church claims from the pulpit on on their website. We have alighted and are willing to stay but I feel my wings are still partially open to lift off at any moment if we sense heresy or just-plain-meanness under color of authority.
The Lord led us to several churches before taking us back to and settling us in one of them. Like so many others who felt led or forced out of Grace Brethren Church over the past 22 years, I couldn't help weeping through the first sermons we heard, realizing how parched we had become.
We have been nursing greedily at a truly Biblical view of Jesus Christ--Almighty, Sovereign, transcendent yet God-with-us, exalted and lifted up, name above all names, worthy of worship by all His creation, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, compassionate Savior, willingly giving His life in place of ours, the only necessary and sufficient sacrifice for our autonomy and rebellion, the One who not only hears us but can answer our deepest cries for help and heal the brokenness in the innermost places of our spirit.
The church God led us back to already contains so many wounded refugees from GBC the sanctuary is being expanded to accomodate 125 more worshipers. It is comforting to go to an unfamiliar church and be embraced by dozens of familiar people. Some we barely knew at Grace welcome us as long-lost friends.
We now understand why those who left GBC before us left quietly and still do not want to talk about it. We never want to step on that property again. Its air is thick with the poisonous fog of deception. In my mind's eye I see there a circle of friends with their backs to us. Why would we want to relive reminders that they chose to believe lies about us and, under orders by the perpetrators, refused to read this blog, blocked our emails, and would not let us speak to them--much less seek us out to ask why we were taking a stand against the leadership?
Like so many other outcasts, we are skittish about committing to another institution. I have trouble trusting what any church claims from the pulpit on on their website. We have alighted and are willing to stay but I feel my wings are still partially open to lift off at any moment if we sense heresy or just-plain-meanness under color of authority.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Wall of Remembrance: Jerry and Jessica Renshaw
 |
| Jerry widowed 1998 |
 |
| Jessica widowed 2002 |
 |
| Married at Grace, May 2, 2004 |
 |
| Left Grace May 2, 2012 |
JERRY RENSHAW
Member of Grace for 36 years.
Co-Prayer Team Coordinator.
Choir member, steward, deacon, usher,
served communion, Life Group co-host,
hosted pastors and students involved
in our Japanese ministry.
JESSICA SHAVER RENSHAW
Member of Grace for 39 years.
Women's Bible teacher, book of Hebrews
and other subjects. Wrote correspondence
Bible study, Who Is This Man? for church
prison ministry. Co-Prayer Team Coordinator.
Taught 2-3 year olds for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers
(MOPS). Worked in nursery. Choir member,
member of stewardship team, deacon,
served communion, Life Group co-host,
hosted pastors and students involved
in our Japanese ministry.
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