Before I begin, let me first start by saying that I am not angry or calling out specific people in regards to their actions. What I am doing is shining light on an issue that should not be - PERIOD - especially by professing Christians, regardless of the foundational doctrine they hold to. Truth be told, I have always struggled to understand why there are so many fractured pieces of believers when there is only ONE GOD, ONE SON, and ONE SPIRIT. Guess what I am about to shine light on is one of hundreds or thousands of reasons why you can see a church or religious building on about every corner across America.
Growing up, my family primarily attended Methodist or closely related church (I recall a Lutheran and Church of Christ from my very young years). One reason why I no longer associate with the UMC is because I ended up sleeping through the messages as the minister seemed to lull me to sleep frequently. Another is because they are very willing to accept all people and lifestyles that are clearly against what God considers pure/without blemish. My skin crawls when I think of some of the things the vast majority of UMC accepts. Seeing as the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, meaning that what it says is absolute, being so accepting means they are not accepting the whole Word as His Holy Word. As far as I can tell, the only instruction changed was in regards to blood sacrifices for atonement of sin that is seen throughout the OT because Jesus became the final sacrificial Lamb for all in the NT. Everything else is still as true today as it was in the OT and in the NT scriptures. That specific rant is now over.
Now to what is truly eating at my heart. Recently my daughter met up with someone that we attended church with for several years until we left that church. During their visit, this young woman shared with my daughter that there was a very clear directive from adults there that homeschooled children were not to associate with my daughter for the simple fact that she was enrolled in public school system. At first, I didn't give it much consideration. That was until my daughter heard this same explanation from another person who had no knowledge about the prior disclosure. The final confirmation came when I heard for myself a very similar disclosure from someone that was a former member of that same body of believers. Church is NOT the place for cliques or the place to fill with just who you want as long as they adhere to the same manner of rearing their children. Does not the Word of God simply state that parents are to raise their children up in the LORD? Where does it say that you are to only associate or accept members or worshippers if they also homeschool or put children in private, church-owned schools? Pah-leeze!!! I know we are not to conform to this world, but we are still in this fallen world so it is imperative we do what is needed to cleanse ourselves from the venom this world spits at us. The way to do that? Dig into God's Word for a renewing of heart, mind, and spirit - DAILY!!
I suppose the reason this stings so much is because it shows just how blind I was to think that these people cared about me, my daughter, and our faith walk. As individuals, many of these people are the kindest you will ever meet. But to know that they intentionally kept distance from us just based on where my daughter was being educated or the fact that I was a single mother who was FORCED to work in order to provide a home, nourishment, and clothes for us - I just feel appalled by the actions of these same folks. The laughable part about all this is that the adults that issued the directives to their children are the products of the very same public school system that my daughter attended (as did I). They turned out fine. Hmmm.
I close with these very important questions that are scripturally founded:
Are we not all poor in spirt? Do we not all fall short of the glory of God? Do we not all, every last creature with breath, need the redemptive work of Christ?
Be blessed ~ and do try to be a blessing to others.
