Posted by Dave Kenady (Author Unknown) on 8/11/2001, 5:09 pm

Posted by Dave Kenady on 6/10/2001, 8:33 am There are two threads involved here, "Last Night I Went to the COA" and "ONE MORE THING ABOUT THE NIGHT I VISITED THE COA". The whole conversation can be found in the archives under the file CCG09.ZIP. This repost only includes Author Unknown's comments about his visit. ---------- Posted by Dave Kenady on 6/10/2001, 8:35 am , in reply to "Last Night I Went to the COA -- (a repost of AU's visit)" LAST NIGHT I WENT TO THE COA Monday, 10-Jul-00 19:49:36 In the first place, I want to give my reasons for attending a service. 1. I was invited. 2. I was challenged to go by someone who thought I might be too paranoid to. 3. I wanted to see the people behind the postings. 4. I was compelled to go and see for myself what COA was all about by all of the postings exhorting me to. 5. I also wanted to see if the music there was really better than what we had in the Chapel days? 6. I had posted on the board that I would go. 7. Last-I needed to go for my own piece of mind-to see Don’s ministry. SO I WENT Ken S. e-mailed me the address along with instructions how to get there and the time of the evening service. I drove straight there. I looked for the name of the church on the building but found none. As I came to the door a sign read roughly “Meeting in progress no visitors allowed without invitation.” I walked through the door. I prayed with the people in the Spirit for sometime. Then I thought (do these people really want me here?) So I got up and asked an usher if this was a special member’s only meeting, he said “no we put the sign on the door to keep out unbelievers.” As we were still talking Don appears a few inches from me. Don and I had a conversation. He didn’t even flinch when I said I was penning a chapter on the feast days and that I had asked the COA people for material on the subject-We talked. Then the music started, I began bellowing out great sounds as I worshiped, soon I was totally caught up in my own glory; only to hear a voice beside me say, “Rich.” Thinking “what?” I looked beside me and saw a man. I looked at him again and again with each proceeding look more narrow than the last, then I realized this must be Ken. Immediately I said, you look a lot shorter in person than you do in your posts. Then I asked, “How did you know it was me?” Ken, answered back, “you described yourself pretty well.” Then it hit me, (I’ve got the longest hair in the whole house). Soon people began to come to me. I was being hugged. My hand was shaken. I met Sam, Joseph, Lorelei, and Ken, all from the posting board. I meet Darius, an old friend. And someone who had been reflecting on the one who brought him to Christ 24 years ago showed up at my side and said, “Rich I was asking God less than a week ago to bring our paths together soon.” “I miss you so much.” I said, “Oh Al God is good. He sure answered your prayers quickly”. My desire here is not to analyze, criticize, or compromise. My heart and Church home is no longer under Don’s ministry. But what am I saying? WHAT IS MY POINT-WHY DID I POST THIS? I came to fellowship with my brothers and sisters and worship God. I left a better man. Ken and I hit it off. He is not a strange guy. Ken seemed very normal. Yet, I would have never thought that based on his postings. Lorelei is friendly. Sam has a great heart, and Joseph is brilliant. I thank all of you for extending the hand of fellowship to Author Unknown ---------- Posted by Dave Kenady on 6/10/2001, 8:37 am , in reply to "Last Night I Went to the COA -- (a repost of AU's visit)" ONE MORE THING ABOUT THE NIGHT I VISITED THE COA Sunday, 23-Jul-00 17:48:15 I recently visited the COA and I wrote a post about it. I did not talk about the service, the music, or my impression of the way people worship there for the following reasons: 1. I have tried to bring us into unity on this board, and I thought any bad press would hinder the effort. 2. I told the people I met at the COA that I was going to post something about my visit but I would not say anything bad. 3. At the time I felt I would be a jerk to come by invitation to a church and then rank it down- Like I was there to gather information. When in reality I was there with a good heart and pure motives. 4. Also, I didn’t have any desire to bring criticism upon any church who’s members think is so awesome. 5. Last: I will admit I was concerned that I might get a “blot” upon my reputation, from the people at COA if I wrote a brutal review of the church service which could very well end any future postings from me on this board. I have witnessed posters who get blasted for almost everything they say-Like Lanny for example. And so far it seems everyone likes “Author Unknown.” Sorry Lanny. SO I FOCUSED ON THE POSITIVE AND EXCLUDED ANY CRITICISM IN MY LAST POST I made this clear in the original post-That I was not reviewing the service-when I said: “My desire here is not to analyze, criticize, or compromise.” I did walk out of that church a better man like I said, not because I was impressed by the service, but rather because I was reaching out to my brothers and sisters in Christ. And, because I had gained knowledge about a form of worship that I had never seen before, but only heard about. WHY AM I ABOUT TO ANALYZE A SERVICE AND POSSIBLY RUIN THE UNITY THAT I HAVE BEEN STRIVING FOR WITH MY BELOVED BRETHREN? 1. Is it to keep my name in the spotlight on this board? No! 2. Is it to appease some of the people who have talked to me saying that I put a church that hurt them in a good light? NO! 3. I am not playing politics or choosing sides among us. 4. The reason I am posting this is so that all of us inside and out of the COA can hear my impression of the worship service. 5. Don’t you want to know what “Author Unknown” perceived? Last: I am not trying to set myself up here as a whipping boy-so please don’t rail on me. I would like to see a Christ-like discussion if any discussion results from this next posting. PART TWO WILL FOLLOW Author Unknown ---------- Posted by Dave Kenady on 6/10/2001, 8:39 am , in reply to "Last Night I Went to the COA -- (a repost of AU's visit)" Re: ONE MORE THING ABOUT THE NIGHT I VISITED THE COA, PART TWO Monday, 24-Jul-00 10:19:57 PART TWO INTRODUCTION: I have come to the conclusion that I would be doing everyone a disservice if I did not express my honest impression of Don’s present church. My prayer is that I might be able to express my opinion in a manner that will not hinder our love for each other-but rather that some knowledge will be gained and some good will come from this posting. While penning this treatise I tried to walk a fine line-while I desire to be gracious with my words-I do not want to be so gentle that I mislead anyone. What I ask is that you consider my heart, which is laid out before you and read this posting carefully to understand my position. I was thrown out of the Chapel in late 1982, some time before the doctrine of “spiritual connections” was practiced. Therefore, because of my lack of knowledge, I have kept my mouth shut concerning this subject. Yet, I have read every posting on “spiritual connections” over the last six months and I believe I understand the theology. However when I saw people dancing the two-step, looking into each others eyes, singing, I was left wondering: “Is this ‘spiritual connections’ in practice?” Also, when I heard the hour of music, I thought, “this is a far cry from the music we had at the Chapel!” Chris W. has already described it perfectly. Except it has evidently slowed down since she was involved. Every song was basically the same. They could all be danced to in the same manner without missing a beat. I witnessed strange behavior that evening all done supposedly in an attempt to worship God. Let me say, I am so glad that I did not bring my secretary there that evening, she wanted to come. But my business partner Leonard was concerned that she might be stumbled by what she might see-Dawn is a babe in Christ. And Leonard was right. I was shocked at what I saw-it did not bear witness to my spirit. In fact, in my opinion is, “this place was devoid of the moving of the Spirit of God.” And I would not want to bring any new Christian to this church for fear that they would be shocked as well. In my opinion I saw a dead church-who’s members were sure was still alive. PART THREE WILL FOLLOW Author Unknown