Open Letter to Richard Burkard: It is time to go again!!!
Dear Richard!
I cannot believe it has been 9 years since I have known you via the internet and it will be exactly 9 years this coming fall at one of my last feasts with the Worldwide Church of God in Toronto that I met you in person. You were and still are quite a character. Talk about a cross of Rush Limbaugh (with a greater social conscience than he has) and one of my former WCG pastor Neil Earle. You were very charitable in paying for both of our meals at the feast in Toronto, I hope some day I can return the favour. Swiss Chalet Restaurant is truly the best! I am eternally grateful at your kindness. We agreed on many issues. We disdained Joe Jr.'s ideological campaign to rid the WCG of the Hebraic roots liturgical calendar in favour Western (Roman) Christian liturgical calendar. This was one of many things that the broke our trust in Joseph Tkach Jr.---forever! In your website, you chronicled your last days in the Worldwide Church of God, like mine , they were difficult and completely confusing times that no one should ever repeat in their lifetime. You also chronicled your visits to various Sabbatarian churches until you final eliminated it to one: the United Church of God. It is been now over a half a decade you have been involved with the UCG. That too has been a ride. On the outside, it seemed like an open minded liberal organization of all the splinters. It seemed like it was the WCG in the 1970's---free and easy before Ayatollah Armstrong took away the fun in the '80's. The UCG, what you have discovered, has not what it has appeared to be. There are many good people in the United Church of God but again I feel that the system itself is tainted and when an organization says its a continuation of the 18 truths of Herbert W. Armstrong (which some of those truths have been proven to be theologically false) creates serious problems than it does solutions. This is why I said to you on Mark Tabladillo's Jesus Loves Fellowship board, "You are getting to wise for these people" (I mean the UCG clergy) and I still stand by my statement.
Yes Richard, what I am saying is, "It is your time to go again!" You know that there are geniune Christians in many other denominations beside the XCG's. The UCG still officially grasps with that concept. I remembering visiting an UCG congregation in toronto in '98 and a local elder whom I knew sort of lambasting well-respected Canadian televangelist David Mainse (former host of 100 Huntley Street)in saying that if you mention to David Mainse about "laws and obedience" you would lose him. This is not true and grossly unfair! Pastor Mainse does believe in "laws"---but he'd argue it is the law of Christ and yes he does believe in obedience IN Jesus Christ. Pastor Mainse may believe that some parts of Old Testament law is relevant (and it is highly like it is a smaller fraction than what the UCG believes). The UCG still does graple with the issue of grace. They may say (and they say it loud), "We believe in grace!!!!" But in reality they charge a price, they might even say it is a small price but a gift ceases to be a gift. Richard, you may plead in their defence by saying that they do not communicate this issue properly. The fact is, that the Church of God (Seventh Day) has a better understanding let alone communication of what grace is. Time to go way back what the father of the sabbatarian XCG's has to say. It might do some good. It is time for you to go again because they will not investigate deeply and thoroughly on subject. You did.
Of course Richard, as I left the WCG in '98 (which started as a leave of absence and grew to a permanent departure), it was a very lonely experience. So-called friends (let's call 'em what they really are---users and manipulators---and proud of it!) do not call you up to see how your doing. The probable exception is a ploy to stay within "The Church". That's it! You are nothing but a target to be used by these people. I find it is usually the people who left any kind of Armstrongist XCG are the real friends at the end of the day. At first, you think they are trouble-makers, crap disturbers but the fact remains they have the best interests for you at heart. Their only crime is to desire for you to have your sanity back. If you know some of these people (I don't care if it's via internet) HOLD on to them dearly! Respect what they have to say. They usually have helpful information on life after a splinter group. It is time for you to go again to discover a journeyful life after the XCG churches.
May I add in the process of leaving the UCG, quit trying to look for the perfect church. It is simply not there! Whether it is Sabbatarian or Sunday---all churches, I believe, are in a state of confusion as we speak. This is not say don't visit any church, what I am saying that it would be completely unwise and stubborn to have a list of churches and a process of elimination to find the right fit a second time. In more stronger and harsher terms, this would be proving Albert Einsten's point about insanity. I am not being mean, I am just telling you in the possible way that it is time that you do not be fooled again. You can still practice the principle of a day of rest in the comfort of your own home. I do find some Christians of New Covenant Theology persuasion a little too neurotic and devoid of reason when they shout and scream words and slogans like, "Legalism!!! Bondage!!!! Rest in Christ is all YOU EVER NEED!!!" I would like to say to these people (and trust me some of them you can't tell them anything, it childishly their way or the highway) is: GET A FLICKIN GRIP ON REALITY GUYS!!! I see nothing wrong in continuing a spiritual discipline of a day of rest that benefit the mind and soul as long as one does not make it a sacrament of salvation (in which Traditional Adventism and Armstrongism gleeful fall in that trap). I think North American society can learn something from a day of rest from worldly and business pursuits. Sadly it seems in North America with both Christian churches and the world, it seems stary eyed when it comes to consumerism and when you take out that principle of resting the body and soul it is inevitably problematic. North American Church as a result has become hyper-dualistic in its thinking and has no room for the holistic---but that's another topic for another time.
Keep reading religious material from many sources---always keep an open mind but at the same time continue to have low BS meter when one tries to major in the minors in their theology which tragically minimizes the gospel of Jesus Christ and what he stood for and what he has promised for all mankind is thrown out the window because of their petty doctrine which has no consequence. Now is the time to make the stand! To stay with the UCG any longer than you have to is just another journey to a dead end street to nowhere. Come along with the adventurous journey, it is rough, it is tough but in the end it will be worth it. The consequences for taking that journey is beneficial for the long term.
God Bless!
YBIC,
Felix Taylor, Jr.
Labels: Armstrongist Refusniks, Richard Burkard
"Oh, the Yellow Rose of Texas...", "It's Big 'D', little 'a' double 'l' 'as', yes, It's Big 'D', little 'a' double 'l' 'as', and that spells 'Dallas'".
Texans have pioneered musical developments in tejano music, punk rock, mariachi, country music and the blues. Famous Texan musicians and groups include Earlobe Van Jensen Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Selena Quintanilla and ZZ Top. Tex Ritter and Jim Reeves both grew up in Panola County in East Texas.
And we watch "Austin City Limits" on PBS.
Yes, it's time for the UCG to move to the second largest state in the Union -- biggest if you don't count states in the deep freeze.
However, their deal for the land next to the toxic waste Superfund site has fallen through, but we have faith that shortly they will tear down their barns to build bigger ones just like Jesus said. The Home Office Move is Scriptural.
Piece of advice: Don't cross the Mississippi on Interstate 35 just now....
Posted by
Douglas Becker |
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Now that the post topic is in its final form, it is clear that the comment above is irrelevant.
Richard, do consider what Felix says. It is of the same sort of message I have also tried to convey to you.
United doesn't just have some problems: Somewhere along the line, it fell into being weird and creepy, totally unhealthy. The Good News started out to be a beautiful encouraging magazine for about a year and then it descended into the same tacky British Israelism based death, devastation, destruction as the old Plain Truth. Someone somewhere made a decision to go flat out secular. Howard Davis told me, "The Good News is horrible! Just horrible". And he is right. It is.
The UCG website is a mess, often with little podcasts about how you can overcome mental illness by being happy instead of getting real help from mental health professionals and taking your meds -- and their teachings are based upon the preachments of a mentally ill minister [to whom I have spoken] who hasn't figured out how to take care of his own mental illness -- a real case of denial.
It should also be noted that alcoholism is also rife within the ranks, although it is somewhat better than the other xcgs amongst the ministers. That is why I talked with Dennis Luker at the end of December 2006 after services and promised to write an article he could use about Alcoholism. I hope he will take it forward and get the head of so many ministers in the xcgs out of the bottle. It is truly disturbing to be at dinner with an xcg pastor who tells you after the third glass of wine, "I am a wicked, wicked man: Help me".
Something Draconian has happened to UCG and it cannot be fixed.
The suggestion Felix made concerning returning to the Church of God Seventh Day makes sense for you. They have a style of the Feast of Tabernacles back East, so you lose nothing there. They are warm friendly people without the rancor of Armstrongism. They actually treat Jesus with great reverence and respect just as if they expected to be his bride at his return -- they already love honor respect and cherish him in a personal way. It is not a bad choice. Many in United have fled for the CG7 and are quite happy there -- they have told us they will never return to United.
And there is something you should think about: Herbert Armstrong rebelled against the Church of God Seventh Day. He went ballistic when they didn't adopt his views of British Israelism. It wasn't about the holydays! It was about something which is not just false, but the fruit of it has been false prophecy, dissension, anger and even hatred -- it has produced nearly every evil work, ending in divisions. Herbert Armstrong was a very evil man just for rebelling against the CG7 leadership because of his childishness. All of us have suffered because of his sin of rebellion. And United is keeping a portion of that evil alive.
Felix is right. Now is the time to hit the road -- and not the road to Dallas, Texas. It is time to find a group of godly people who are loving and not divided by their common roots.
Please heed.
Posted by
Douglas Becker |
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Yeow! Not even the "blog competition" in my home area has singled me out quite like this! :--O
I do appreciate your concern, and will examine your comments more deeply in coming days.
I'll say this for now: my UCG Pastor is in a personal "10-service trial" with me right now -- sort of like the last ten races of the NASCAR season. (Check NASCAR.com for an explanation, Mr. Canadian. :-->)
If my Pastor doesn't "win" with his messages in the final ten "races" before the Feast, I'm likely to leave UCG after the Feast.
Today was service #2 -- and he's now 0-2. My internal buzzer for errors sounded 4.5 times.
I'll explain more later....
Posted by
Richard |
Saturday, August 04, 2007
We look forward to the final gunlap of the Work.
Posted by
Douglas Becker |
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Whoops -- now wait a minute, Doug. Regional Pastor Bruce Gore came to my congregation in July, and talked about the "final COUPLE of laps" of our lives.
I couldn't help noting that. Has the last lap been reset -- to something like a NASCAR green-white-checkered situation?
But anyway: my Pastor mentions alcohol in moderation a lot more than he used to. Perhaps he's seen the trends in COG's, even among ministers. (What IS Judd Kirk doing these days?)
During these "weeks of decision," for lack of a better term, I'm praying for my Pastor to preach properly and well. If you're praying for me, I appreciate that -- but I also ask you to pray for him. God could turn his errors around, and make a tough decision unnecessary.
Posted by
Richard |
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Round 3/10: The Pastor won today, with a sermon on faith. He's now 1-2 in the "final ten."
But for the second week in a row, the Pastor said he'll increasingly refer to us as "men and women of God" -- NOT "Christians." He says that word has been ruined by people who claim to be Christian, but whose lives are anything but.
Posted by
Richard |
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Round 4/10: The Pastor loses, dropping to 1-3.
His sermon asked: "Hate the sin but love the sinner?" He glossed over John 3:16 and Romans 5 in arguing God hates sinners. And he says "sin can't be put in the lake of fire" -- forgetting Rev. 20:14, which says death and Hades will go there.
Posted by
Richard |
Saturday, August 18, 2007