[BrotherLarry]

I long for the day when I can sit under the preaching of Pastor Ezekiel, but this Lord's Day I attended services with a friend I met while ministering to the heathen druggies near Avenue B, downtown. Manuel invited me to the Church of the Living and Loving God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the World. It is a storefront gathering place, seats maybe 50. I counted 19 in attendance.


The pastor, Rev. Joe, spoke of the importance of avoiding all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). He reminded the congregation that "hippercrits" (his pronunciation, not mine) are always in the church and that not everyone who calls out Lord Lord will be saved (Matthew 7:21). So, to keep from hurting the reputation of the church, we must not do things to make others think we're hippercrits. He gave a short list of things to avoid:


1. Hanging out with sinners
2. Smoking, drinking, cooking with wine
3. Dancing
4. Casual dating (we should always be in serious search of a mate)
5. Looking at homers (they might look back, and try to seduce us)
6. Reading magazines like People, Us, or the National Enquirer
7. Wearing unseemly attire (too short, tight, too colorful)
8. Men should not go shirtless lest they invoke lust from viewers
9. Women should not wear makeup of any kind
10. We should ALWAYS go to church


At one point in the sermon, he said this: "Now I know there are those who would tell me I am too strict, but I don't want to see you in Hell, and I know some of you are headed that way." He looked right at me when he said that, and I was taken aback. Here I am, a visitor to his humble little church, and he looks at ME?


Do I have the appearance of evil? I surely hope not. And then I thought, how rude to make a statement like that. For a supposed man of God to imply that only certain people will enter Heaven's gates and that they must believe the same things that pastor does or they'll burn in Hell forever - well, that's just SO unfriendly and something you'd never hear in LBC.


My friend Manuel said they were serving donuts and coffee in the back after service, but I declined and went home and took a hot shower (those people were poor and who knows what was lurking in the underside of the folding chairs). I went to evening services at my own church, where I didn't have to worry about judgmental pastors pointing fingers at handsome, well-built, intelligent young men like me and implying they had the appearance of evil.


Praise God we can separate ourselves from such people. I am sorry if I rambled, but I just had to share so I could feel better about myself


Glory to God for the haven this forum is and has always been.


BrotherLarry

[MitzaLizalor]

I have heard that secularist types.—.democrats, communists, circus acrobats, fire-twirlers you know the sort of thing.—.have appetites which may raise eyebrows among your profession and if the "hippercrits" in his congregation were mimicking mime artists for his benefit by just sitting motionless he'd probably see straight through their façade, like a giant invisible pane of glass.

You do not remind me of a human statue. Not even if you painted yourself gold and stood outside my window. Could your appearance have had so much life that you were conspicuous in a positive way? As though he were saying "There are hippercrits always in the Church.." then looking at you as if to continue "..you know what I mean don't you?"

When I mentioned the gold paint I was not suggesting any contravention of number 8 on the list. It's very likely that people would sit there to get the free donuts in a trance of the non-spiritual kind. I don't mean to imply demon possession but from your description I wouldn't be surprised if that was a problem on the day you attended. Will you be returning?

[Basilissa]

Brother Larry, I think you are safe. The devil is subtle (Genesis 3:1, 2 Cor 11:3), has the appearance of an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14), walks like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8)...

No, definitely, nobody could mistake you for the devil, my most beloved Brother Larry.