Posted by LP on 1/8/2002, 12:49 am

Posted by Author Unknown on 1/2/2002, 7:24 pm , in reply to "COA people... were here [on this board] to convert us... gave up" When I visited The C.O.A back in July of 2000 upon invitation I thought I could bring about a unity between that church and the rest of the body. I was wrong. They are not seeking unity. And I canÂ’t find a way or reason to reach out to them. I cannot go back. And they cannot come out. Maybe it is best that I just leave them alone. ---------- Once "Us", now "Us and Them" Posted by Dave Kenady on 1/2/2002, 9:06 pm , in reply to "Re: COA people... were here [on this board] to convert us... gave up" Though the attitude is still ingrained in me, I no longer think it is safe to allow yourself to be in a position where it is inevitable that you (and/or your church) finds itself isolated from the body of Christ. (like I'm not!) I've had a lot of hard feelings over the years toward the body of Christ over what I perceived to be their persecution of us at the Chapel. But you know, we did a lot of that to ourselves. We were more than willing to set ourselves apart from the church for any number of reasons. We had our own theology, our own Bible college, our own church structure, even our own music. We didn't need the rest of the church. 1 Cor 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Fourteen years later, my feelings are STILL mixed about this. For example, we didn't need music from the local bookstore because our music was more than sufficient. I loved the music from the Chapel -- still do. I loved the Bible college. I loved the church services. But separated we were. I took offense at a comment from a local Christian observer I was conversing with back in 1989. He was rebutting my laments about the local churches attitudes toward us. He commented that it would have helped if we did not have such a "fortress mentality" at the Chapel, keeping ourselves isolated in our fortress against the rest of the world. But he had a point. And I think a lot of this came from Don's view. This "fortress mentality" was coming from the pulpit. And I dare say that Don's church STILL suffers a self-imposed isolation from the world. Good people with good hearts, devoted to God. But you gotta wonder why there was the church and then there was the Chapel. And now, there is the church, and then there is COA. My own view is probably one step back from the average Christian. I see the whole church, in some respects, with some real carnal problems, judging each other, incapable of being one with each other. And look at us, the mighty Chapel is reduced to play the same ol' game that's been played hundreds of thousands of times over the history of the church. Where we were once brethren in a unity of vision and purpose, now reduced to AU's words, "I thought I could bring about a unity between that church [COA]and the rest of the body. I was wrong. They are not seeking unity. And I canÂ’t find a way or reason to reach out to them. I cannot go back. And they cannot come out. Maybe it is best that I just leave them alone." So there you have it. And even in my own family (my kids attend COA with their mom), things Chapel and/or COA still remain an unspoken topic at family gatherings, partly because of all the hurts of the past, but also because I bend over backwards to make sure my kids feel free to be part of the family without having to deal with COA issues. I originally started putting the "Reflections" paper together as a Christmas present to my folks in 2000, but killed the idea because I did not want my girls to have to endure Christmas day with that being discussed among the family. So it became an addition to the website. ---------- Today Posted by Lanny on 1/3/2002, 10:29 pm , in reply to "Once "Us", now "Us and Them"" I think there is some real wisdom in what Dave has said and what AU has said. We have been taught to keep the unity of the spirit until we come into the unity of the faith. I have a real unity and spiritual bond with some at COA. They have been very gracious and I have appreciated their openness of heart. At the same time I have not changed my opinion about the decisions of the past and any discussion of the past will only bring up some very big divisions between us. There is no point in doing that. We can, however, share a real special bond based on the many similiar things we have gone through. At this point in time I much prefer the positive. Lanny ---------- Just in case he ever reads this Posted by Michele on 1/7/2002, 8:48 am , in reply to "Are you sure heÂ’s not even interested in it?" Just the mention of the name Don Barnet causes my blood pressure to rise. So in case he reads this...I have only this to say: From the thousands of people you destroyed, and misled. From the youth who turned their backs completely on the very God you spoke of, and from the children who have more bad memories than good..REPENT!!!! You, Don Barnet, always taught us that the end was near.....well, regardless of how near it is....YOU are responsible for all of the people you led astray. I have seen the empty faces of adults, then youths, who gave up hope, gave up on God, and are still, 13 years later struggling day to day. I got lucky. I know that God is not the being we were taught that he was, full of wrath, and ready to strike us down. I know that if I worry...it is not a demon, and I know that God's grace is sufficient for me. But finding that has been a long road, and at times, I long for the childhood that I missed. I have this one small thing to admit...it is that if Don Barnet burns in hell....I may just rejoice a little. I guess that time hasn't healed all of my wounds.