Even though our
church did not allow outsiders to join our ranks, there was one event each
year, when we always suspected there
were strangers among us: the annual Halloween party.
There was always
an odd feeling – almost that evil was in the air at the Halloween party, which
was held every year on the Friday evening nearest Halloween. This event wasn’t
just for teenagers. Adults and children also jumped into the action. It was great
fun to dress up as something secret and have people stumped as to who was
inside the costume.
One year, my
friends and I dressed as VHS movie boxes (yes, showing my age with that
detail). We went to a video rental store and got movie posters to glue to our
oversized boxes. I was so into the whole disguise thing that I swiped my older
brothers Air Jordans (which were the most coveted pair of shoes in those days),
and used mascara to darken my arm hairs so people would guess it was a guy in
my costume. I felt victorious when a group of boys surrounded us and tried to
guess who we were by listing off the guys who owned a pair of Air Jordans.
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| 1990 Halloween Party (not so undercover) |
Near the end of
the party was the unmasking, where all the costumed people would line up and
wait for their turn to step up on the stage by the band and remove their
disguise. But there were always some people who just never stayed at the party
long enough to reveal their true identities. Strangers? Worldly people?
Ex-followers? I worried that they were evil spirits and demons; so I stayed
away from the parking lot during those parties.
I remember only the "popular" people would get the loud cheers and applause when they unmasked. I had a great costume one year and everyone was so curious to know who I was. When I unmasked, the look of disappointment in everyone's faces was hard to take. If you don't have a particular last name and/or are wealthy, you get treated like dirt in that place.
ReplyDeletewow, things are different then when i was a kid in the eighties. either that or i never paid attention to what was going on. i was always at the Halloween parties, but it never crossed my mind that someone from the outside would crash the party. i guess i was too involved with being a teenager to notice.
ReplyDeletethe parties the foc cult throws are great unless you are one of the teens that are left out. that would have been crushing.
ReplyDeleteDon't you people get sick of whining all the time?
ReplyDeleteDon't you get tired of going to a church with no bibles?
ReplyDeleteNo, not really... how much reading of the bible goes on in your church service? A few lines each meeting? I can read my bible just fine at home or anywhere I have my I-pod.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you read it why not take it to church? If you read it them I am sure you can see the FOC has some pretty big problems. No preacher, no baptism, no foot washing, etc...what do you do when reading the bible you should be able conclude that much of what your church does is unbiblical? You keep going? The churches spoken of in revelation were correct, then their candlestick was removed. Consider that maybe the same thing has happened at the FOC.
DeleteAt my church there are a lot more than a few lines read, also there are many bible study groups to attend. Church and worship is meant to be a lot more than simply reading the bible at home. Although that is good I have a hard time believing that you are content with simply reading at home.
What a sad statement! To be happy in the state you are is talked about by Paul. But I do not think that is what he ment by the FOC current situation. I believe it is closer to II Tim. 3 Verse 1-4 talk about the state of a person or even a church. Verse 5 says having a form of Godlyness but denining the power there of. It goes on to talk about not coming to the knowledge of the truth. This should be a scary warning that Paul gives timmothy. Have you came to the knowledge of the truth? Do you have a form of Godlyness? Can you have some alone time with God and say that you are happy with the state of the FOC? Is this truly what you are seeking? There is some great things about the FOC. Truly great. I am not sure there Is a tighter bunch of people out there. You have fellowshipping down to a perfection. The FOC is just lacking one thing. But it a biggie.
DeleteAs Nathan said to Philip when Philip came to Nathan. Philip was all excited that he had found the Christ. So he came to Nathan and told him of the person of Jesus and Philips response was what good can come out of nazetath. Bring bibles to church does not make one better than another. But I love taking my bible to church and opening it and reading along. It is a wonderful experance. Why don't you come to church with me and we can see just how much we go through the bible. I used this line of thinking with my brother Inlaw. My sister told me why should he go to a bible study, when he could do this at home. Also my friend used the same logic with me. My question now is how is that bible study with family going? Did you start? Is it continuing? Can one have too much study? I think it is possible to have to little of study and be caught up in the cares of this world. Let's go visit a church together and we can see just how much is being read. I hope that to my brother Inlaw, to my sisters, and to my friend that their bible study's are going well and thriving. To say that you are not tired of going to a church that does not study the bible at church is quite a statement. There are many forms of churches in todays world, and I wonder if that is what God had planned to not bring bible to church, not be taught over the pulpit for almost 27 years, have no bible studys to attend. I wonder who would benefit the most from this practice? Who has the most to gain? Who stands to loose from this practice? In the words of Phillip in John chapter 1 " come and see". I believe you owe it to you're self.
ReplyDeleteEven more important than having a bible at a church is does anyone talk about Jesus? That is what the bible is about and it is just a rare discussion at the FOC.
ReplyDelete